USA Today via Reuters
Oct 6, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers celebrate after defeat the Miami Heat in game 4 of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Oct 6, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers celebrate after defeat the Miami Heat in game 4 of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 NBA title after beating the Miami Heat. But they won’t stop there and will aim to run it back in 2021. To emulate their success, they will have to get stronger for the upcoming season.
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Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise when ESPN’s Bobby Marks said that the Lakers will be the most active team in Free Agency. He said that they need to “get their house in order,” which means they have to do their best to bring back their expiring contracts.
While star Anthony Davis has already confirmed he will return, Marks says the Lakers will have to choose between retaining Rajon Rondo and Markieff Morris or bringing in new players using their mid-level exception of $9 million.
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Who will the Lakers bring back?
The Lakers have at least four players that they should aim to bring back. Rondo and KCP are going to decline their player option, but the Lakers have bird rights for both of them. So if it is reasonable, they should match offers for both of them.
Following his first two seasons, KCP was one of the most criticized players on the team. But in the 2019-20 season, he turned it around completely. His production went down, but he had career-highs in field goal percentage and three-point percentage. His effort on defense also didn’t go unrecognized.
While Rondo had a below-average regular season, he stepped up in the playoffs. He improved in every major stat during the playoffs and was impressive on both ends. Needless to say, the Lakers should do their best to bring them back.
The defending champions could also end up losing Dwight Howard and Markieff Morris. Both were signed on one-year deals and helped the team to win the title. But because of their excellent performances, the Lakers could be priced out of bringing them back.
They have been linked to players like Serge Ibaka and Danilo Gallinari, who they can bring in via mid-level exceptions. But similar to Howard’s case, there is no shortage of competition to sign those players due to the thin Free Agency class.
With LeBron James turning 36 next month, the Lakers will be hoping to provide the best they can for him, as they aim to win their record-breaking 18th ring.
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