3 Bold Predictions for the Lakers 2024-25 Season

The

L.A. Lakers

are coming off a disappointing season. After winning their Play-In matchup, they lost to the reigning champion

Denver Nuggets

in a competitive five-game series, although they seemed to think they had legitimate title chances.

The clock is ticking in Hollywood. The Lakers need to capitalize on the window of their aging stars.

LeBron James

is 39 years old.

Anthony Davis

is 31 years old with an extensive injury history.

During the offseason, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that James would be willing to take a pay cut, in order to land a big-name free agent like

James Harden

or

Klay Thompson

. The Lakers were not able to land either player, and no big move has materialized, thus far.

The pressure will fall on the shoulders of new head coach

JJ Redick

to launch this team back into contention.

Here are three bold predictions for their 2024-25 season.

D’Angelo Russell Won’t Be Traded

The Lakers will not find the right deal for Russell

The Lakers’ willingness to trade

D’Angelo Russell

is one of the worst-kept secrets in the NBA.

After he exercised his $18.7 million player option, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that the Lakers would be “aggressive” in pursuing trades for Russell.

According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the Lakers discussed trading Russell in a sign-and-trade for Klay Thompson, but the Warriors were not interested.

Russell is a talented offensive player. Last season, he averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds on a 45.6/41.5/82.8 shooting split.

However, his trade value appears to be minimal. On his YouTube channel, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha stated that Russell has “neutral to negative” value around the league. Other trade chips like

Jarred Vanderbilt

,

Gabe Vincent

, and

Rui Hachimura

were also mentioned, although it seems like possible trade partners are not interested.

Is it worth it to trade Russell while his value is at an all-time low?

In the past, the Lakers have been connected to several big trade targets, but the front office has demonstrated a patient, logical approach to deals over the past year.

Expect the Lakers to play out the season with Russell on the roster, although his role might be limited.

Dalton Knecht Will Be the Lakers’ Leading Bench Scorer

Knecht should make a big impact as a rookie

The Lakers selected Tennesee guard

Dalton Knecht

with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

At age 23, Knecht is more NBA-ready than many of the other players in his draft class. As a senior, he averaged 21.7 points and 4.9 rebounds, while shooting 39.7 percent from three-point range.

That high-level production carried over to the Summer League, as the rookie averaged an impressive 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals while shooting 39.1 percent from deep.

The Lakers desperately need offensive production off the bench. Last season, their bench ranked 23rd in the NBA in total bench points.

Jarred Vanderbilt is primarily a defensive specialist.

Max Christie

and

Cam Reddish

are athletic wings, who each averaged less than six points per game last season. Gabe Vincent is a wildcard. After a productive run with the

Miami Heat

, he appeared in only 11 games for the Lakers last season, averaging a meager 3.1 points per game.

Therefore, Knecht’s odds of stepping into the sixth-man role are good. If he continues to produce, he should receive plenty of opportunities. His natural shooting ability makes him a nice fit in lineups alongside James and Davis, as well.

The Lakers Will Miss the Playoffs

The Western Conference will be very competitive

The Lakers have been a Play-In team in three of the last four seasons. In 2023-24, they finished with the eighth-best record in the Western Conference (47-35) and defeated the

New Orleans Pelicans

in their Play-In matchup.

However, the West should be even more competitive this season. Let’s revisit the 2023-24 standings.

The Pelicans and

Sacramento Kings

both made big moves. The Pelicans made a blockbuster trade, acquiring

Dejounte Murray

from the

Atlanta Hawks

. The Kings added six-time All-Star

DeMar DeRozan

in a sign-and-trade deal.

The Pelicans had a better record than the Lakers, before being bumped down by their Play-In loss, while the Kings trailed the Lakers by only one game. Both teams should eclipse them in the standings this season.

The Grizzlies will be a force, once again, with

Ja Morant

back in the lineup. They were the No. 2 seed during the 2022-23 season.

The Warriors got arguably better, gaining depth with the additions of

Buddy Hield

,

Kyle Anderson

, and

De’Anthony Melton

.

Jonathan Kuminga

and

Brandin Podziemski

are young players with upside, as well.

The Rockets went on an unbelievable run towards the end of the season. In March, they posted a 13-2 record. During that stretch,

Jalen Green

averaged 27.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. The Rockets’ young core had another offseason to develop, and

Alperen Sengün

will be back healthy. They have the potential to make a real playoff push.

Finally, the Lakers actually overperformed last season, as they only finished 11th in the West in point differential.

In conclusion, the West should be stacked this season, and on paper, the Lakers do not have enough to contend.

All statistics courtesy of Statmuse, NBA, Cleaning the Glass, and Basketball Reference.