Lakers' Jeanie Buss After Nets Sign LaMarcus Aldridge: 'Bring It On'

Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is well aware of what the Brooklyn Nets are building in an effort to win an NBA championship. She just isn't afraid of them.

"It brings out the best in us," Buss said Monday on Stephen A's World on ESPN+ (h/t Royce Young of ESPN). "When teams identify us as the team to beat and they gear up to go at us head-to-head, that makes us work harder.

"So, bring it on."

The Nets, who already had a Big Three in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, landed Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge after they were bought out by the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs.

The Lakers made a similar move when they signed Andre Drummond following his buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Buss said Drummond will be a valuable piece at center alongside Marc Gasol.

"Drummond ... will certainly fortify a season where we've had to deal with injuries and COVID," Buss said. "Having Marc Gasol, who is our starting center, was out for several weeks with COVID and a really tough case where he was on a minutes restriction even though he's back in the lineup."

The defending champion Lakers (30-17) are in fourth place in the Western Conference, though LeBron James and Anthony Davis are injured. The Nets (32-15) are second in the Eastern Conference.

James is expected to be out for several more weeks with his ankle injury, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic. Davis hasn't played since Feb. 14, and head coach Frank Vogel said Friday he is "still a ways away" from returning from his Achilles and calf injuries (h/t Harrison Faigen of SB Nation).