3. Need For A Third Point Guard
The Los Angeles Lakers revamped essentially their whole roster this offseason. LeBron James is now the longest-tenured player on the team. He and only three other players from last season’s roster, Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol and Talen Horton-Tucker, are under contract for the 2020-21 season.
The point guard position saw some major changes, as Dennis Schroder and Alex Caruso both moved on this offseason. Schroder ended up with the Boston Celtics, signing a one-year deal for part of their mid-level exception after turning down an $84 million extension offer from the Lakers. The Chicago Bulls landed Caruso on a four-year, $37 million deal Los Angeles couldn’t match.
In their place, Russell Westbrook will be taking over as the starting point guard. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards before the 2021 NBA Draft. Kendrick Nunn, whom the Miami Heat pulled their qualifying offer on, signed a two-year, $10 million deal to join the team.
Nunn, a self-proclaimed scoring first combo guard, is capable of playing point guard. LeBron James is also more than capable of running the show, but it doesn’t hurt to add some depth. Isaiah Thomas would be a solid third point guard option for the team behind Westbrook and Nunn.
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Frank Vogel should do everything he can to stagger the minutes of Westbrook and James, but having a veteran such as Thomas as insurance would be smart just in case the team faces the number of injuries they did this past season.
