NBA Rumors: Lakers ‘Leaning Toward’ Adding Depth in Free Agency over Trade for Star

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly leaning toward adding more depth this offseason rather than adding a third star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

“My sense right now is they’re leaning more toward upgrading the supporting cast rather than the three-star model,” Buha said, beginning at the 2:30 mark of the video below.

As far as why, Buha cited the difficulty of trading for a third star, the uncertainty regarding who would be available, paying a higher luxury tax bill and struggling to build out a roster behind a new big three.

Buha’s latest remarks go along with his comments on the May 2 edition of The Athletic NBA Show (20-minute mark).

“The Lakers have pushed back in recent weeks and months on the notion of going down the three-star build path, so we’ll see how that all shakes out. I think LeBron James will have a say in that,” Buha said.

The Lakers just went through a disappointing season that saw the team go 47-35 and earn the Western Conference’s seventh seed. They lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

Given that history, it’s clear L.A. needs to go back to the drawing board.

L.A. returns Anthony Davis, and LeBron James figures to return on a new deal. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently noted that LeBron declining his player option to enter free agency would be more for a contract restructure rather than an actual desire to leave town (53-second mark).

The Lakers could very well lose D’Angelo Russell to free agency, but the team will also retain other key pieces in Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.

Choosing depth over a third star could be the best way to go, though. As Buha noted, adding a third star could significantly hinder this team’s ability to build out a competitive roster.

Numerous Western Conference teams have strong rotations and benches that have enabled their success (just take a look at the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks), and it’ll be tough for L.A. to compete against those squads without adding more pieces.

We’ll see what the Lakers do soon enough in free agency come July, but before then, L.A. holds the No. 17 and 55 picks in the NBA draft, which starts June 25.