Grading Lakers' Early Moves in NBA Free Agency
The 2023 NBA offseason has played out a lot like the last trade deadline did for the Los Angeles Lakers.
While no big names are heading to Hollywood, L.A. has instead focused on fortifying its roster. That has largely entailed talent retention, but the club has also gone outside the organization in search of depth, defense and long-distance shooting.
It's been a solid (or better) summer, one that should have the Lakers featured prominently on any offseason winners list. To get a little more specific, though, let's spotlight a few of the biggest signings and given them a letter-grade assessment.
Austin Reaves
1 of 3
The Contract: Four years, $56.3 million
The Analysis: The Lakers easily could've come out of this summer owing Reaves nearly twice as much money for the same amount of time.
L.A. had matching rights on the restricted free agent, and word was L.A. was willing to go up to his max rate of nearly $100 million to put them to use. No one ever put their feet to the fire to see if that was totally true, but if that public posturing scared off potential suitors, it was a job well done.
It's possible that sooner than later this pact ranks favorably among the league's best deals. He made a near-All-Star turn after the All-Star break and kept looking the part in the postseason, where he averaged 16.9 points (on 46.4/44.3/89.5 shooting), 4.6 assists and 4.4 rebounds over 16 games.
If he merely matches that production, he's a major value at this rate. If he continues to develop—a distinct possibility for someone with just two NBA seasons under his belt—he's an absolute steal.
The Grade: A-plus
Rui Hachimura
2 of 3
The Contract: Three years, $51 million
The Analysis: The Lakers also held matching rights on Hachimura, and they seemed willing to use them on any reasonable offer. This amount clearly lands in that range.
It's not quite in larcenous territory, because it still isn't certain how effective he'll be in areas beyond inside-the-arc scoring. He isn't a playmaker, has never taken a ton of threes and rarely made them at a high clip and his defensive impact hasn't always been what his physical tools suggest it should be.
Still, he's a versatile scorer who went supernova from long-distance in the postseason (19-of-39, 48.7 percent) while also playing some of the best defense of his career. If the Lakers get that player at this price, they'd be thrilled.
He needs to become more consistent, but he's also only 25 years old, so an a-ha! moment may still be in his future. L.A. was smart to pay this amount in hopes that light bulb will click and stay lit.
The Grade: B
The Point Guards
3 of 3
The Contract: Two years, $37 million for D'Angelo Russell; three years, $33 million for Gabe Vincent
The Analysis: Because Russell and Vincent might be vying for the starting point guard spot, it made sense to batch them up here.
This feels like money well spent with both. Each has his flaws—Russell is a defensive liability, Vincent has been an inconsistent shooter—but also brings enough positives to justify the price.
Russell is a slick scorer who's nearly as good at setting the table. Vincent is a tenacious defender who had some masterful minutes during the Miami Heat's run to the NBA Finals. If he performs like he did in the postseason (12.7 points, 37.8 three-point percentage and 3.5 assists against 1.4 turnovers), he could be an ideal fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
If the Lakers find out it isn't working with either player for whatever reason, they shouldn't have trouble getting out of these deals. Russell, who has a player option for next season, and Vincent should both be tradeable at these prices.
The Grade: B-minus for Russell; B-plus for Vincent
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.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
