The Los Angeles Lakers have had a boring offseason thus far, except for the team retaining its own free agents. Los Angeles re-signed star forward LeBron James and guard Max Christie but hasn't done anything else.
Part of this is due to multiple players picking up their player options, resulting in the team's 15-man standard roster being completely filled up with 15 players. Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes, and D'Angelo Russell all decided to opt in, something that the Lakers likely weren't expecting to happen.
For the Lakers to make any moves, they would first need to rid themselves of some players to make room on the roster. The team is also just under the dreaded second-apron tax, so clearing up some salary off the books would also give the Lakers more flexibility.
However, the inactivity of the Lakers hasn't been for a lack of trying. They missed out on a few star players and are now reexamining the market. According to insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Los Angeles is expected to be patient in improving the roster, much to the chagrin of the team's fanbase.
"The Lakers' inactivity has not been due to a lack of trying," Buha writes. "They struck out with Klay Thompson, were unable to land other impact free agents like Jonas Valančiūnas and DeMar DeRozan
have failed thus far to find common ground in trade talks with Portland, Brooklyn, Utah, Toronto and Orlando. Now, according to league and team sources, the Lakers are expected to remain patient in their quest to improve their roster.
With James and co-star Anthony Davis on the roster, the Lakers have to find a way to maximize the last few years together. James has hinted about retirement each of the last few seasons so he will be hanging it up soon.
Los Angeles did hire new head coach JJ Redick to take over and he will be expected to get this team over the top. In addition to Los Angeles being patient, there is reportedly an internal belief that the current roster may be good enough.
There is an internal sense that with Redick fine-tuning the team's overall structure, better health for some of their role players (Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent) and the additional continuity of most of this group being together for parts of three seasons, the Lakers aren't that far away from competing with the West's best," Buha explains.
The Lakers were bounced out of the first round in just five games last season with a similar roster, proving that they aren't good enough to compete with the elites in the Western Conference.