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The Los Angeles Lakers have a 13-12 record and are in 10th place in the Western Conference going into Sunday’s game against the 18-8 Memphis Grizzlies. They badly need not only wins, but also some reinforcements.
The top of their roster is rock solid, but beyond that, they’re thin, especially when it comes to scoring, physicality, athleticism and perimeter defense. They have a couple of roster needs, and according to scouts and executives around the NBA, the team would love to add a center and point guard in order to take the next step.
Lakers daily via ESPN
“The Lakers remain armed with D’Angelo Russell’s $18.6 million expiring contract, plus several more minimum players on expiring deals, as well as their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks, but it’s going to be difficult for one trade to fix the myriad issues with the current roster,” wrote Tim Bontemps. “That’s led to a belief among rival scouts and executives that the Lakers would love to find both a point guard and a big man to fill out their roster — though adding both, with the team’s limited assets, won’t be easy.”
While Anthony Davis remains an elite two-way superstar center, the depth behind him is suspect. Jaxson Hayes, who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, can supply some energy and rim protection, but he lacks the size and strength to be a plus defender or rebounder.
Behind him, Christian Koloko, a former second-round draft pick, is clearly a project player. Besides LeBron James, who will turn 40 years of age in a couple of weeks, the Lakers don’t have a truly solid and reliable point guard. Austin Reaves often plays out of position at the 1, and Russell’s shooting has been very inconsistent this season. When Russell isn’t hitting his shot, he tends to be a liability.
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