After a season and a half of being stuck in mediocrity following the ill-fated Russell Westbrook trade of 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers used a defibrillator on their heart at midseason and resurrected themselves.
They did so with several trades that brought in players that filled roster holes and fit well together around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As a result, they won 18 of their last 26 regular season games and made a somewhat unexpected run to the Western Conference finals.
More than that, the Lakers established an identity they like as a strong defensive team that generates easy transition buckets off stops and turnovers.
When introducing the team’s draft picks this week, executive Rob Pelinka reiterated he wants to bring back as much of its core as possible while describing the type of players it will seek in free agency.
Via The Athletic:
“We’re going to try our best to match players with players that coach wants to coach and that work in his system,” Pelinka said. “And I think that’s guys that play tough-minded basketball, that play defense, that play the game the right way and hold themselves accountable, but fit within a team structure. Don’t put themselves first, put other guys first, and that’s got to be our identity and it will be our identity.
“And I think when rosters really work, is when they reflect the personality of the head coach. Those are archetypes and the things that we are for on July 1.”
Teams across the NBA will be allowed to start talking to free agents at 6 p.m. New York time on Friday, June 30.
