The Lakers have struggled to find playoff success since their last Championship run. LeBron James and AD have been the core of this team and the front office has done everything in its power to build a championship-level roster around the two. However, things haven’t picked up momentum. They faced a first-round exit in 2021, then missed playoff contention the following year. The Purple and Gold then tried to make a stronger comeback after making the Conference Finals, but that was the farthest they could go.

And last year, the Lakers fell to the Nuggets again, but it was earlier this time in the postseason. The previous 4 years raise a question around Bron and AD- Are they still capable of winning a championship? Well, if anyone believed otherwise, the Paris Olympics was definitely the answer to their doubts. LeBron James, or Captain America, as many would now like to call him, led Team USA to an Olympic gold at 39! Anthony Davis on the other hand was as dominant in his 2nd Olympic appearance, in an increasing role.

Clearly, the two certainly have what it takes to bring another ring home. But do the Lakers have the necessary assets? Well, Tim Bontemps thinks that the LA side has done an under-par job at shaping the roster. “The single biggest takeaway for me from this whole tournament is that it showed to me how terribly the Lakers have been run for most of the past several years. Yes, he’s (LeBron James) approaching 40, he’s the oldest player in the league he obviously can’t necessarily play at this level for 82 games.”

James, in solely the playoffs, has averaged more than 26 points alongside 9.6 rebounds and a smidgen under 8 assists with the Lakers! “When he is in moments like this he still has the ability to turn it up to a really high level…The fact that the team has been built so poorly around him and Anthony Davis that they have been an afterthought the vast majority of the run and especially the past few years outside of I think you know again they got some favorable matchups otherwise they’ve been a non-factor,” he said on The Hoop Collective.

Apart from their recent Conference Finals appearance, the Lakers have also struggled in the regular season. But how do they fix this? As of now, they had one of the worst offseasons out of all franchises. The LA side was offered some flexibility from the man himself, as LeBron James was willing to take a pay cut, to add a certain caliber of players on the roster. This was at the time when names like Klay Thompson were up for grabs. Unfortunately, that did not work out, even after the availability of 4 superstars in the free agency, DeMar DeRozan being one of them. This leaves the Lakers with their precious draft Draft Picks to work with.

Rob Pelinka has 6 confirmed second-round picks and 5 first-round picks over the next 6 years. To put it into perspective, if they were to exhaust the majority of their picks collection, they could easily bring in another All-Star. But it seems that they are happy with their newcomers. Yes, Dalton Knecht has given a glimpse of his rich potential in the Summer League, but it isn’t enough.

Austin Reaves, on the other hand, is the only tradeable asset, apart from the non-sensical move to offer out AD, that can get the Lakers an elite player. However, it would be a costly move, as the franchise has kept the shooting guard away from any trade talk. That being said, how can the Lakers improve?

The Lakers can still work their way to adding an All-Star, barring any plan to sell AD, Rui Hachimura, or Austin Reaves

At this point, the front office can look to give away assets like Gabe Vincent, and Cam Reddish along with future draft picks. With this strategy, Rob Pelinka and Co. can expect to land a decent scorer, as they are in bleeding need of a reliable shooter. The squad lacks outside shooting and a shooting guard would be in their desired investment plan for the mid-term at least. But teams won’t ask for anything less than Austin Reaves or Rui Hachimura in return. But that’s where Pelinka’s draft picks come into play.

LeBron James and AD have the potential in the tank to win another ring and if the front office does plan to make a big move, they rather sacrifice a few young guns + draft picks, rather than shipping off one of their trusted guys.

LeBron James signed another two-year deal with the Lakers which may be an indication of his last few seasons in LA, keeping in mind the dream to play with Bronny will most likely be fulfilled this season. The King is looking to make one last Championship run before he calls it a day. And as of now, the Lakers haven’t been of much help. It will be interesting to see whether the front office makes big moves in the middle of the season.

Jerami Grant, Cam Johnson, and Brandon Ingram were a few names still linked to Jeanie Buss’ franchise after Lauri Markkanen crushed their rival, the Warriors’ hopes by signing a new deal in Utah.

Which superstar do you think the Lakers should add around LeBron James and Anthony Davis? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.