Los Angeles Lakers' 2017 Offseason Blueprint
It's been a while since the NBA offseason was just a period of rest and relaxation for the Los Angeles Lakers to unwind after another lengthy playoff run.
They're trapped in a four-year postseason drought, already their longest by two years (at least). They've set the franchise record for losses three times in that span and the low mark for winning percentage twice.
In other words, the offseason has now become the most critical and often most exciting point on their calendar. This summer will be no different.
The Lakers could again find themselves near the top of the draft board and in position to potentially land a franchise anchor. Other avenues to stars could open in either free agency or the trade market if L.A.'s revamped front office wants to start with a bang. Finally, there is work on the home front to be done with the players already in place.
It will be a busy summer for new president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka. This handy five-step guide will help get them through it.
Pray for Lottery Luck
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Both Johnson and Pelinka will participate in the draft lottery—the former appearing on the televised portion of the event, the latter observing the actual off-camera drawing.
If it seems like the Lakers are treating this as a big deal, that's because it is.
"May 16 could be disastrous for the Los Angeles Lakers. Or it could be the best day of their year, by far," ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes wrote.
The Purple and Gold closed out the season at 26-56, the third-worst record in the NBA. That reduced their odds of keeping their top-three protected pick to only 46.9 percent. And if they lose this selection to the Philadelphia 76ers, then the Lakers will also have to send their 2019 first-rounder to the Orlando Magic. (If this pick is kept, next year's first goes to Philly and the debt to Orlando becomes two second-rounders.)
L.A. needs all the scratch tickets it can get. It looks like the payoff for some recent ones will be good—D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram possess certain star qualities—but there's no conclusive evidence the organization has struck a jackpot yet.
It needs to keep as many first-round pulls as possible, particularly the one at or near the top of a seemingly loaded 2017 draft. The Lakers need high-level talent, and this selection could very well provide it.
Ace the Draft
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Barring any dealing between now and then, the Lakers will be on the clock come draft night—probably more than once. With a little lottery luck, they'll have a top-three selection and the 28th pick (acquired from the Houston Rockets for Lou Williams) on June 22. If the pingpong balls bounce wrong, they'll select 28th and 33rd (the latter belongs to Orlando if L.A. stays in top three).
These must be value picks, especially if they're drafting early. The top three runs heavy on intrigue.
Hyperathletic combo guard Markelle Fultz (Washington) is a plug-and-play option for anyone. Generational passer Lonzo Ball (UCLA) can fit puzzle pieces together around him—and he told The Vertical's Shams Charania he wants to be a Laker. Two-way swingman Josh Jackson (Kansas) boasts the versatility required for modern ballers and could begin repairing L.A.'s last-ranked defense.
The Ringer's Danny Chau wrote:
"Drafting Josh Jackson wouldn't be a panacea, but it'd definitely help having a world-class athlete who actually gives a damn on defense showing up his teammates as a rookie. Accounting for his athleticism, his basketball IQ, his versatility, and his work on both ends of the court, it's reasonable to consider Jackson the most talented player in this coming draft.
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If the Lakers keep this selection, they must nail its execution. Whether the player becomes a building block or the central piece of a trade for one, he should have a significant impact on their present and future.
Acing the later pick could move this summer from good to great. Hopefully, it's just a flier beyond their headliner; otherwise they must extract talent from areas other clubs have overlooked. That became a strength of the previous regime, who nabbed Larry Nance Jr. at No. 27, Ivica Zubac at No. 32 and Jordan Clarkson at No. 46 (via trade from the Washington Wizards).
Test Trade Market
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Have you ever heard of any potentially mutual interest between the Lakers and Indiana Pacers' All-Star forward Paul George? No? Oh, well on behalf of the internet, welcome to modern society.
There are a pile of reports saying George, a SoCal native, would love to be a Laker. Most recently, Sporting News' Mitch Lawrence wrote that George "never made his long-term intentions a secret within the Pacers' locker room, according to former teammates."
The interest on L.A.'s side explains itself. George, who turns 27 on May 2, is an in-prime star with playoff experience and three All-NBA selections. He's also one of only six players to average at least 23 points, six rebounds and three assists in each of the last two seasons.
But in case anyone needed to hear it from the Lakers' mouth, yes, they are interested. Johnson not-so-subtly admitted as much on a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! when asked if league rules would allow any contact with George should the two happen to encounter each other.
"I just can't say, 'Hey I want you to come to the Lakers,' even though I'm going to be winking like...'You know what that means, right'" Johnson said, via Des Bieler of the Washington Post.
The cost to acquire him now could be prohibitive, and maybe the knowledge of his interest is motivation to wait and make a run at him in 2018 free agency. They could take the same approach with Russell Westbrook, although the walking triple-double seems a far less obtainable target.
The Lakers should feel no rush to orchestrate a blockbuster trade. But they must now the exact temperature of the market in case a star slips into the no-brainer price range.
Chase Youth, Value in Free Agency
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If Lakers fans are wary of free agency, who could blame them?
Just last summer, they attacked the open market with vigor and blank checks—and wound up owing $136 million to Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov, both of whom were benched for the season's final month.
They literally can't afford a repeat, since cap space will be much harder to come by. But even their smaller budget could prove problematic if it's not invested wisely.
That doesn't mean the Lakers should sit out the proceedings, rather they must identify specific areas of need and show appropriate economic restraint.
If an A-lister wants to come on board, that's always something worth considering. If not, they should chase up-and-comers who can ideally address their defensive deficiencies and make the total package more attractive. Major offer sheets to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Nerlens Noel would test the resolve of their current employers; lower-cost pacts with Andre Roberson, Tony Snell or JaMychal Green could do the same.
If L.A. takes the unrestricted route, it could give Dion Waiters a long look. The 25-year-old emerged as a reliable playmaker and defender for the Miami Heat, all while hitting a career-best 39.4 percent from three. If the Lakers don't go guard with their first draft pick, Waiters could grow alongside this core.
Their desire for a modern center could lead them to Dewayne Dedmon or Willie Reed, two players without much NBA mileage on their odometers.
Handle Randle Extension with Care
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The Lakers don't have too much to do in-house. At most, they'll have six free agents.
Metta World Peace has already said he's gone, and Nick Young has indicated he could be next. David Nwaba's defense makes him worth his $1.3 million team option. Tarik Black's non-guaranteed $6.6 million deal is disposable if needed or relatively reasonably price if he's kept around. Unrestricted free agents Thomas Robinson and Tyler Ennis can be easily discarded or cheaply re-signed if better options don't surface.
The most important internal decision they'll make involves a player already under contract for next season—Julius Randle, who's eligible to sign his first contract extension. The seventh pick in 2014 lost all but 14 minutes of his rookie campaign to a broken leg but took several steps forward in his third year, averaging career highs in points (13.2), field-goal percentage (48.7) and assists (3.6).
"It's hard to guard someone who can move like that and carry 260 pounds on them...and be 6'11" [listed at 6'9"]," Nick Young said earlier this season, per Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus. "He's turned into the juggernaut with handles."
So, should Randle start practicing his signature for an impending Powerball-sized payout? Not necessarily. He's good, but not max-money good yet, which could create a gulf between the rates desired by his representatives and the Lakers. It'd take a gamble on someone's part with either L.A. risking an overpay or Randle possibly shorting himself.
This deal seems best suited for 2018. By then, the Lakers should have a clearer view of his value, plus extra time to spend elsewhere before paying Randle. But he must be on board with the idea since he's in danger of damaging his earnings with a down year or more injury issues.
If L.A. loses its first-rounder (plus 2019's) and fails to snag a big fish in free agency, it might be more inclined to act now. At that point, having a somewhat sure thing like Randle could outweigh any flexibility lost.
Statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.
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