The Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th NBA title, something that seemed to be like forever. The purple and gold have gone through tough times but finally got it together when they got LeBron James and Anthony Davis this season.
However, the 2020-21 NBA season will be a different story for the Lakers. Other NBA teams are expected to soup up while the Lakers will be losing some key players. This early, names like Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dwight Howard are reportedly headed out, likely to try their luck with new teams next season.
Hence, Frank Vogel and Rob Pelinka will need to buckle down to work and get in new faces. One name that has been frequently mentioned is Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards. Some feel that Beal could be moving to Los Angeles at some point after the 27-year-old guard purchased an expensive house in Hollywood.
Snoop Dogg and Shannon Sharpe discussed the Lakers' chances of making it back-to-back, agreeing that it won't be easy. Snoop Dogg singled out Beal's new home and such has raised hope of the Lakers possibly getting the two-time All-Star.
Unfortunately, seeing Beal joining the Lakers as early as next season is unlikely. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard signed a two-year deal last year with the Wizards worth $72 million. Also, Beal was looking forward to joining forces with John Wall once more. Hence, the best the Lakers can do is wait until Beal's current contract runs out.
The offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers
The AD contract: A breakdown of the 3 options
A look at a LeBron James extension
The roster outside of LeBron and AD: The player options, own free agents, available exceptions and look ahead to 2021.https://t.co/gNVCKfb6H8 — Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 14, 2020
Beal would make sense for the Lakers, particularly in shooting. He is seen as a better option to Danny Green, another player who has been linked to a possible trade deal for the Lakers.
It will be a busy offseason for the Lakers who will try to come up with a competitive roster once more. There are big names available with names like Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers abuzz. A big problem that Pelinka will have to deal with is cap space.
A large chunk of their budget has gone to James and likely to Davis. The 27-year-old center is expected to opt-out of his $28.7 million deal with the Lakers and re-signs with a heftier one. There is no telling how much that would be but it would likely be another expensive one.
But with players leaving one by one, the Lakers are getting some financial room. The only problem is that these are small amounts, except perhaps for Caldwell-Pope. Hence, the new faces will only be known once the Lakers' financials are ironed out for the 2020-21 season.
