It’s no secret the Los Angeles Lakers’ free agency pursuits haven’t produced any big signing these past few weeks. For emerging star Austin Reaves, though, he’s still confident the Purple and Gold can have a successful campaign soon, despite the lackluster offseason they just had.
The Lakers’ offseason has been widely panned by NBA coaches, scouts, and executives, who voted the team’s inactivity as the “worst move” of the summer in a recent ESPN survey.
With high expectations coming into the offseason, the Lakers have failed to significantly improve their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. General manager Rob Pelinka has done little beyond re-signing guard Max Christie and drafting Bronny James and Dalton Knecht.
Los Angeles remain desperate for a third star or other reliable complementary pieces, but have swung and missed big time in their offseason pursuit. Unlike other teams, Los Angeles didn’t make any big moves this offseason. In contrast, the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings had the DeMar DeRozan trade, as well as Paul George’s signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite James and Davis still being an elite duo, the current roster does not complement them well enough heading into the new season. With limited flexibility, the pressure is on Pelinka to pull off the right trade to turn the team’s fortunes around before it’s too late. As a result, their underwhelming offseason has left many around the league skeptical about their ability to contend in the loaded Western Conference next year.
Austin Reaves Confident About Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024-25 Season After Lackluster Free Agency
During his stop in Manila, Lakers’ guard Austin Reaves shared his thoughts about free agency and the upcoming season for his team. In a video shared by Nicole Ganglani on X, the young star explained why the Purple and Gold are still contenders.
Also asked the Lakers guard about the Lakers’ moves this summer (or lack thereof) and he said that he believes the Lakers have enough to compete for a championship. Reaves also talked about why he’s excited to play for JJ Redick. pic.twitter.com/m5dUqP731Y
— Nicole Ganglani (@nicoleganglani) August 3, 2024
Last season, Reaves averaged 15.9 points on 36 percent shooting from the field, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists throughout 82 games. His continued development as Los Angeles’ starting shooting guard will be instrumental if the team hopes to compete for another ring next year.
It remains to be seen whether Reaves’ faith in the Lakers will be rewarded or not. In any case, LeBron James and company will have their work cut out for them once the new season starts.
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