Lakers Won’t Target 3rd Star, Shift Attention To 4 ‘Realistic’ Players

The Los Angeles Lakers enter this offseason in desperate need of a roster reshuffling.

Last year, coming off a Western Conference Finals bid, there was optimism that the team would be able to build on their prior playoff success and turn in a successful 2023-24 campaign.

That didn’t end up happening.

L.A. struggled for much of the regular season to be anything more than just average. In the playoffs, they flamed out in the first round when they were thoroughly outclassed by the Denver Nuggets.

All the same weaknesses that plagued the Lakers consistently for much of the LeBron James Era continued to be problems. They still couldn’t shoot from beyond the arc, posting a dismal 29 percent figure from three-point range in the playoffs. They still had no reliable third option behind James and Anthony Davis.

And they still couldn’t do much of anything in the postseason.

The lack of meaningful on-the-court success lended itself to the franchise instead making headlines for dumb things like Jeanie Buss’ ‘admission’ to hooking up with Magic Johnson.

Coming into the offseason, there was hope that the Lakers would be able to bring in a third star. Unfortunately, Donovan Mitchell pledging to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Trae Young dumping Klutch as his agency, and Dejounte Murray being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans has made that unfeasible.

L.A. is obviously one of two frontrunners to land Klay Thompson, but he doesn’t really qualify as a third star anymore.

Likewise, while the team is on the verge of trading away D’Angelo Russell, he is not worth a star in return.

And the biggest name the front office has legitimately been linked to in recent days is Seth Curry.

So where does that leave the Lakers?

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the team has now switched its focus on four ‘realistic’ role players they believe could help the team win now.

“Still, there are good options potentially out there. Wings like Portland’s Jerami Grant, former Laker Kyle Kuzma and the Nets’ duo of Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson are expected to be available on the trade market, according to league sources.

“They aren’t the biggest needle-movers, but any of those four players would enhance the Lakers’ perimeter defense, frontcourt size and/or floor spacing. Grant, for his part, would check each of those boxes; he’s quietly shot 40-plus percent on 3s in back-to-back seasons in Portland.”

While none of those players hold the same sort of name recognition as a Mitchell or Young, they could arguably fit better within the parameters the Lakers are currently operating in.

That said – there are still a lot of moving parts at work. The Russell trade is likely the first domino that will need to drop. Then figuring out what’s what with Thompson. Once the specifics around those two things are decided, pursuing Grant, Kuzma, Finney-Smith or Johnson will likely become a top priority for Rob Pelinka and Co.

Jennifer Withers Hoey

Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about Sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.