Year after year, the Los Angeles Lakers are tied to almost every single big name in free agency. As it usually happens with big-market teams in the NBA, their fans always ensure that they’ll get multiple stars every summer.
This year isn’t the exception to that rule, as the Lakers are reportedly on the market for an upgrade at the point guard position. That means that their fans are already picturing the likes of Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, or Kyle Lowry wearing the purple and gold.
Nonetheless, ESPN’s insider Adrian Wojnarowski doesn’t see that happening as of now, as he believes that the Lakers are pretty much stuck with Dennis Schroder because they don’t have the means to replace him.
Adrian Wojnarowski Says Lakers Won’t Get A Better Point Guard, Will Have To Settle For Dennis Schroder
“They cannot replace [Dennis Schröder] if he leaves…Almost every team I’ve talked to in the league has been offered some combination of Kuz and KCP … and that’s not going to get them back a point guard of Dennis’s stature. I still think in the end, there’s a deal to be made for him to stay with the Lakers,” Wojnarowski said on the Woj & Lowe podcast.
The Lakers are hard-capped right now and, besides Anthony Davis and LeBron James; they simply don’t have any valuable assets. Truth be told, neither Kentavious Caldwell-Pope nor Kyle Kuzma are appealing pieces for any other team.
So, with Schroder reportedly eyeing a big payment in the offseason, other teams aren’t likely to overpay for a player whose ceiling is Sixth Man of the Year. That means that the Lakers and Schroder are… pretty much stuck with each other. It’s not ideal for either side, but it’s just the way it goes in this business sometimes.