In the days and hours before free agency began, it seemed like the Lakers were gearing up for a major move. D’Angelo Russell’s decision to stay on his contract created numerous trade possibilities, and LeBron James’ readiness to take a pay cut opened up many free agency opportunities.
Yet, as of July 8, the Lakers have made no changes to their roster. The free agency targets they pursued have rejected them, and the trade opportunities haven’t come through, possibly due to the new CBA or a lack of interest in Russell and other Lakers players available for trade.
The Lakers appear to be moving forward without a strong sense of urgency, which makes sense to some extent. They’ve just brought in a new head coach and emphasized player development. However, with LeBron James still on the team, they are always in contention for a championship.
So, what are the Lakers’ next steps? Although LeBron’s contract situation has limited their free agency flexibility, there are still trade possibilities. One intriguing option might be re-acquiring Brandon Ingram.
Ingram is entering the final year of his contract and is seeking a four-year, $208 million extension. With the Pelicans not ready to commit to that deal, it was anticipated that a trade might happen this offseason.
However, like the Lakers, New Orleans has struggled to make progress in this area. On Monday, Will Guillory of The Athletic highlighted the Pelicans’ difficulties in finding a trade solution for Ingram.
