LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 1: Russel Westbrook #0 and LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 1, 2022 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Lakers fans looking for major changes after the team’s 2-7 start might not want to hold their breath, Stadium’s Shams Charania says.
Speaking on the Lakers brass and any possible moves they might make to get back into the playoff hunt, Charania revealed:
They’re probably looking at marginal changes around the edges at best… The organization seems to be moving in a direction where they’re going to resist moving [first] round picks if the season continues to go down this path.
As of now, Los Angeles only has two first-round picks the rest of this decade, in 2027 and 2029.
The Lakers brand has never really been to build through the draft but rather to lure superstar free agents to its historic franchise in one of the most beautiful cities the world has to offer.
That said, they haven’t really done that in recent years. And outside of landing LeBron James, who initially felt the pull of the city more than the team itself, it’s been a very rough go of it for one of the NBA’s winningest brands.
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