Darius GarlandRich Storry/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers again made the postseason via the play-in tournament. Instead of making it back to the Western Conference Finals, however, L.A. was ousted in the first round. Now, the Lakers face a pivotal offseason in which maintaining the status quo won’t be enough.
The Lakers would undoubtedly prefer to keep LeBron James, who has a player option for the 2024-25 season. Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times recently reported that James and Anthony Davis will both need to “sign off” on L.A.’s next head coach. However, some roster turnover should be expected.
Point guard D’Angelo Russell is a candidate to depart in free agency, if he doesn’t exercise his player option.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic (h/t Jesse Cinquini of Lakers Daily) linked Russell to the Orlando Magic back in March. Orlando continues to look like Russell’s most likely suitor.
“It just takes one, but multiple NBA sources question who would be willing to pay Russell if the Magic aren’t,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote.
If Russell exercises his player option or re-signs with the Lakers, he could also be a trade candidate. Pincus reported that L.A. was close to dealing the 28-year-old before the trade deadline:
“Multiple sources say that before trading for Dennis Schröder, the Brooklyn Nets were in talks with the Lakers for Russell (with L.A. getting Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks).”
Obviously, the Lakers didn’t trade Russell, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be open to doing so this offseason. He’s had some good stretches of play in Los Angeles, but he has largely underwhelmed in the postseason.
Of course, parting with Russell would leave the Lakers in need of a replacement, and there aren’t a lot of obvious alternatives. Russell, James Harden and Tyus Jones headline the point-guard market, and the Lakers are already projected to be over the luxury tax threshold.
A trade might be L.A.’s easiest path to landing a starting-caliber point guard who isn’t just a one-year stopgap. Fortunately, a prime candidate might emerge if Donovan Mitchell agrees to an extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On May 15, Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported that if Mitchell does extend, point guard Darius Garland could wind up on the trade block:
“Should Mitchell decide to stay long term, sources briefed on the matter say Garland’s representation, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star.”
Acquiring Garland might not be an easy task for a couple of reasons. For one, his $36.7 million salary would be difficult for the Lakers to match. Secondly, the Lakers don’t have a surplus of tradeable assets and would likely face competition on the trade market.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently suggested a trade centered around Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. That might be difficult for L.A. to justify since the 25-year-old Reaves is positioned to be a key contributor long after James’ Lakers career is over. Yet, if the Lakers could acquire Garland without giving up Reaves, he’d be a logical addition for the same reason.
While his points production dipped a bit this season (18.0 points per game), his shooting—he’s a career 44.8-percent shooter, 38.4 percent from beyond the arc—would complement the Lakers’ current roster. He’d be a better fit alongside James than Russell is, and at only 24, he could become a core piece alongside Reaves and Davis if James calls it a career in a year or two.
If Garland actively wants out of Cleveland, it could help lower the asking price, so it might be a trade the Lakers can pull off. Of course, there isn’t really a scenario in which he’ll be available if the Cavs don’t first do a deal with Mitchell. Fortunately for L.A., Cleveland remains optimistic about its chances of extending Mitchell.
“We can’t talk to Donovan now about the contract until July. I’ll say that my exit interview with him was really good in that he was talking about the future and how excited he was about the team, the organization,” Cavaliers president Koby Altman said, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
The Lakers could potentially pivot to Mitchell if he isn’t extended. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported on May 14 that L.A. would be interested if Mitchell becomes available. However, Garland is a player who should command serious consideration as the Lakers ponder Russell’s situation and a future in the post-James era.
*Contract and cap information via Spotrac
