It’s not been the best summer for the Lakers. The Los Angeles franchise is immersed in a kind of failed reconstruction, without achieving anything they set out to do beyond selecting Bronny James in the 55th position of the draft. With that, they have ensured the permanence of LeBron James in the club (104 million in two seasons), but little else. The elimination against the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs (4-1) precipitated the departure of Darvin Ham, but since then a process has begun that does not end and things are still not tied up for next season. Yes, yes, with two assistants tied up: Nate McMillan (ex of Blazers or Pacers) and Scott Brooks (who was head coach at Kevin Durant’s Thunder).
Before that, there were many refusals. The latest was Terry Stotts, but not the first. The former Blazers coach has turned down a position as assistant alongside JJ Redick, who landed on the team after another refusal, that of Dan Hurley, who preferred to stay at UcConn to win the third consecutive NCAA title instead of accepting the Lakers’ offer. He has not been the only one: Dwayne Casey, Sam Cassell or James Borrego have not entered the coaching staff either and there had been talk of them. And, at the moment, Redick is the coach but he does not have a team to work with or to prepare for next season. A complicated situation as we enter the month of July and which entails a series of difficulties for the Los Angeles team.
There hasn’t been any luck in terms of players either. The Lakers have renewed Max Christie, but they haven’t gotten that third star that LeBron was demanding, even by forgiving part of the salary that he could earn (and will end up earning) and they are still with the same roster as last season, one that has already proven insufficient to compete for a ring that was won in 2020 with a series of players who started to leave shortly after. The inexplicable signing of Russell Westbrook threw the course off course. And the last years of LeBron, who is approaching 40 but is still playing at a great level, have been wasted in an inexplicable way that has seemed too illogical to many.
The accusations are aimed at Rob Pelinka and Jeannie Buss, the manager and owner respectively. Without salary margin and in a bad economic moment as a franchise, the whole situation is resigned to taking advantage of LeBron’s last years in one way: with continuous ovations, longevity records and many new moments for history that will bring a series of eyes on a franchise that can only opt for that. To exhibit its last great legend, who it wants to renew for the next three seasons. Thus, the King will become the one who has played the most in the history of the NBA, something extraordinary. Another limit in his long sports career, that of one of the best athletes ever. That is what the Lakers are clinging to. They cannot rely on much more. Even if the denials have ended and they have finally moved.
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2024-07-04 06:12:41
#Lakers #finally #move
