In 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th championship in franchise history in the NBA Bubble, tying their arch-rivals in the Boston Celtics for the most in NBA history.
In their efforts to repeat as champions, last season ended in disappointment, as the Lakers battled numerous injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Having a long offseason to recuperate and mentally get everything right after going from the NBA Bubble into a whole new season, many expected Los Angeles to bounce back in a big way this season.
Not only did the Lakers have plenty of time to rest up in the offseason, but they also made a huge move to trade for Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards, pairing the “Triple-Double Kings” with the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis in search of championship No. 18.
On draft night, the Lakers had a deal in place to send Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and others to the Sacramento Kings for sharpshooter Buddy Hield, but they quickly turned their attention to Russell Westbrook and got a deal done after LeBron James and Anthony Davis pushed GM Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front-office to acquire Westbrook.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lakers Could Have Traded Westbrook; Not Ready To Give Up
Looking back on the offseason, the Lakers’ front-office is probably kicking themselves for not going with their gut and instead of listening to their two All-Star leaders because Los Angeles is just 26-31 on the season and Russell Westbrook’s future in L.A. may be short-lived.
