With LeBron James entering the final years of his career, the Los Angeles Lakers could make a big move this offseason to try and chase another NBA championship. However, it looks like both Donovan Mitchell and Jimmy Butler are off the table.
While the former could end up staying with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the latter is expected to play out the remaining year of his deal with the Miami Heat. But the Lakers may have an alternative plan.
According to Matt Moore of Action Network, the purple and gold could switch their attention to Cam Johnson this summer as the Brooklyn Nets seem to have entered rebuild mode:
“That third star they talked about pursuing with the three first-round picks at their disposal no longer seems as likely with Mitchell back with the Cavs and Jimmy Butler likely to remain in Miami. Then again, never say never when it comes to stars wanting to play for the purple and gold. The Lakers are among the teams expected to be interested in (Cam) Johnson from Brooklyn.”
Cameron Johnson #2 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center on March 02, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
The Nets sending Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks suggests the franchise is giving up on succeeding in the short term, which could be an opportunity for the Lakers to strengthen their roster.
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JJ Redick believes Lakers are championship material
At his introductory press conference, newly-appointed head coach JJ Redick claimed the Lakers are not far off from being a championship team with their current roster.
“I don’t look at the current roster as being that far off from a championship-caliber team,” Redick said. “In terms of managing expectations, I think in life, you just got to embrace things. You know, you just really have to embrace things. You don’t run from it. If you need to talk about it, you talk about it. There’s not a player, I’ve never played with players in the NBA who were like, ‘You know what? This year’s not the year. I don’t think we can win a championship.’ Now, the expectations here are certainly different. And as we sort of build out the culture, one of the things, and Rob and I have talked about this, you have to let go of outcomes. You just do. It has to be about the enjoyment and embracing the process.“
