https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/lal.png

Lakers

Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo has been suspended for Game 1 of the playoffs against the Warriors for shoving Lakers' Wayne Ellington, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1514333159604817920?s=20&amp;t=BNJBLcWvwzZRT1iaF9k2Dw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo has been suspended for Game 1 of the playoffs vs. Warriors for shoving Lakers' Wayne Ellington.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1514333159604817920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

The NBA has suspended Facundo Campazzo for Game 1 for shoving Wayne Ellington in their regular-season finale.

Facundo Campazzo suspended for Game 1 between Warriors and Nuggets

For a third of the NBA, summer break comes early.&nbsp;
Though 10 teams didn't make the playoffs, it's not all doom and gloom. Several NBA bottom-feeders took tangible steps forward in their rebuilding efforts, while others &mdash; well, they're not supposed to be here.
Every franchise enters the offseason with summer plans. As teams get eliminated from the postseason, I'll be rounding up every team's offseason outlook and posing one question they must answer over the summer. You'll see each squad's 2022 NBA Draft chest, plus their potential free agents, along with the central question.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Let's get started!
DETROIT PISTONS 
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick (via Brooklyn)
Potential free agents:&nbsp;Marvin Bagley III (restricted), Cory Joseph (player option), Hamidou Diallo (team option), Frank Jackson (team option), Luka Garza (team option), Carsen Edwards (team option), Rodney McGruder 
Central question: How do the Pistons build an offense around Cade Cunningham?
This was a pretty solid season for Detroit as far as rebuilding efforts go. Cade Cunningham emerged as a Rookie of the Year front-runner and two-way centerpiece who has fans ecstatic about his ceiling. The Pistons finished a solid 10-14 after the All-Star break, and have shown flashes of an improving defense. They did still finish with the 28th-ranked offense, per Cleaning the Glass, and one of the worst shooting rates in the NBA.
Cunningham had to carry a ridiculous offensive load in the latter stages of the season. Detroit has the power to change that in 2022-23, starting with its high draft pick. Maybe Jabari Smith's lights-out scoring means he's an ideal secondary option? Perhaps Paolo Banchero thrives as an additional creator, or maybe Chet Holmgren makes sense as a finisher and spot-up threat? The fun part about Cunningham is that his versatility creates so many pathways for the Pistons in the draft &mdash; whether or not the ping pong balls fall their way.
Detroit wields a cap hold of approximately $28 million on Bagley, and once that lifts (either via a new contract or letting him walk), the Pistons should have a solid chunk of cap space to add to the supporting cast.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), better of Brooklyn/Miami first-round picks
Potential free agents: John Wall (player option), Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando (restricted), Jae'Sean Tate (team option), Anthony Lamb (qualifying offer), Trevelin Queen (qualifying offer)
Central question: How patient is the front office willing to be?
Houston's 2021 draft strategy of "draft talent, figure out the fit later" appears to be working out. Jalen Green demonstrated an Anthony Edwards-esque leap post-All-Star break, Alperen Sengun is already one of the NBA's best passing bigs, and guys like Josh Christopher and KJ Martin routinely hinted at upside. Houston gets another prime shot at a franchise cornerstone this draft cycle. We're approaching Stage 2 of the strategy, though: figuring out how the pieces fit.&nbsp;
The Rockets were one of two NBA teams with bottom-five ratings on offense and defense. They led the league in rim frequency and were fourth in three-point frequency, but posted mediocre shooting clips. Houston evokes memories of the rebuilding Nets, who played a similarly extreme brand of ball for a few years as the team slowly reshaped into a fun playoff squad. Does the front office have the foresight to let head coach Stephen Silas work things out with his roster of young guns?&nbsp;
INDIANA PACERS
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How is there a &ldquo;rebuild&rdquo; to afraid of if it isn&rsquo;t a rebuild? <a href="https://t.co/0pDD7E6Mss">pic.twitter.com/0pDD7E6Mss</a>
&mdash; Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/C2_Cooper/status/1512127632758001664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Draft assets: First-round pick (10.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick (if 15-30, via Cleveland), Second-round pick (via Houston), Second-round pick (via Phoenix)
Potential free agents: Ricky Rubio, T.J. Warren, Jalen Smith, Lance Stephenson, Nate Hinton (restricted), Oshae Brissett (team option)
Central question: How extreme is the incoming rebuild, and what veterans mesh with the future vision?
Notably unlisted among the potential free agents are Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and T.J. McConnell. All range from solid starters to rotational complements, and 3 of the 4 (not Turner) will be 30 next season. The Pacers are clearly retooling, as evidenced by their trade-deadline fireworks and Tyrese Haliburton's subsequent high usage. They also have publicly flip-flopped regarding the direction of the team; see the above Tweet.
Indiana doesn't have the pure depth of talent to straddle the line. The Pacers can trade many of these talented players and build up a chest of draft picks and young pieces, or they can charge ahead, turn their picks into win-now players and hope Haliburton is ready for the playoff push. But a middle ground doesn't exist in an Eastern Conference where just about every team has solidified its direction.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Draft assets: None
Potential free agents: Russell Westbrook (player option), Kendrick Nunn (player option), Austin Reaves (team option), Stanley Johnson (team option), Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, D.J. Augustin, Wenyen Gabriel, Mason Jones (restricted)
Central question: What does team-building around two injury-prone superstars look like?
LeBron James <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lebron-james-i-dont-have-a-cap-on-how-long-i-want-to-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turns 38 next season</a>, and has played 60-plus games just once in the past four seasons. Anthony Davis has now missed more than half the season in back-to-back years. Sure, the Lakers were a mess regardless of their stars' health, but going forward, is pursuing fits next to James and Davis even worthwhile if the two won't consistently be on the court?
With just three players under contract (the aforementioned stars, plus Talen Horton-Tucker), the Lakers enter another offseason of a roster overhaul. This time, I'd recommend almost entirely forgetting about James and Davis when building the squad and simply try to assemble units that make sense together.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, could change based on Play-In results), Second-round pick via Boston and Charlotte (if 56-60)
Potential free agents: Mitchell Robinson, Ryan Arcidiacono 
Central question: What's going to happen with the veterans?
The top six moneymakers for the Knicks next season are all 27 or older, and I think many fans would say that out of the group, only Julius Randle should have started &mdash; and he seriously regressed this season. The young Knicks <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/explain-one-play-young-knicks-playing-chess" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clearly showed they're ready to take the mantle</a>.
So what happens with Randle, Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker? Is Tom Thibodeau prepared to reduce their (their meaning Burks specifically in this case) minutes and usage, will trades be coming, or will Madison Square Garden burn when Immanuel Quickley opens the season by playing 16 minutes off the bench? New York has drafted extremely well in recent seasons, but the ceiling of the young core is capped if these youngsters don't get a chance to prove themselves in meaningful situations.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 
Draft assets: First-round pick (12.5% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via Clippers, First-round pick via Phoenix, Second-round pick
Potential free agents: Derrick Favors (player option), Mike Muscala (team option), Lu Dort (team option), Isaiah Roby (team option), Melvin Frazier (restricted)
Central question: What is the pathway in the frontcourt?
I've stanned Sam Presti's team-building strategy for years now, and I still think it's on track for a serious payoff. Josh Giddey slots in somewhere on your All-Rookie ballot, and draft classmates Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins flashed rotation-caliber play as well. It is simply a joy to watch a random young player have a breakout game on any given night, and OKC has already shown the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/the-oklahoma-city-thunders-emerging-defensive-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early stages of a prominent defense</a>.
Next up: Capitalize on a draft loaded with intruiging frontcourt players. Banchero, Holmgren and Smith are obviously the best of the best. But even if the Thunder slide in the lottery, they could pounce on an athletic shot-blocker like Jalen Duren, or use one of their later picks on a center like Mark Williams. I'm just spit-balling, but the point is that OKC has plenty of chances to find its big-man anchor and further flesh out its core.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Draft assets: First-round pick (14.0% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Indiana
Potential free agents: Gary Harris, Robin Lopez, Bol Bol (restricted), Ignas Brazdeikis (restricted), Admiral Schofield (restricted)
Central question: How do the offensive pieces fit together?
Orlando quietly logged a 17th-ranked defense this season, and an 11th-ranked unit since Feb. 1. A dismal offense ultimately doomed the Magic, who were riddled with inconsistent shotmaking and poor team efficiency marks throughout the half-court. We don't need to sound any player alarms; it takes time for young guards in particular to grasp the responsibilities of running NBA offenses.&nbsp;
But what if I told you Orlando has wielded bottom-10 offensive ratings every season for the last decade?&nbsp;
Change can start in the draft, again with some of the top offensive forward options like Banchero or Smith. Adding another ball-dominant guard in Jaden Ivey might be overkill, but AJ Griffin and Bennedict Mathurin feel like good wing fits at first glance. Spotrac estimates the Magic could have up to $30 million in practical cap space, leaving plenty of room for veteran players to accentuate the young talent.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
THE D IN DREW STANDS FOR DUNK DO NOT GOOGLE THIS <a href="https://t.co/2AojdAskYV">pic.twitter.com/2AojdAskYV</a>
&mdash; Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1508636734900166659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Draft assets: First-round pick (9.0% chance at No. 1), First-round pick via New Orleans (if 5-14), Second-round pick, Second-round pick via Memphis
Potential free agents: Joe Ingles, Jusuf Nurkic, Ben McLemore, Anfernee Simons (restricted), CJ Elleby (restricted), Elijah Hughes (restricted), Keljin Blevins (restricted)
Central question: Is Portland actually trying to win "now" or win soon?
Some really great development happened for the Blazers during the "wash" portion of the season in the form of players like Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson and Drew Eubanks. Add them to Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and the incomng draft picks, and Portland suddenly has... kind of a sneaky-deep prospect pool? There's real potential to mold this group into a rotation cast that gives Portland one of its deepest rosters in years.
That's why these <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jerami-grant-trade-rumors-portland-is-still-the-frontrunner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerami Grant trade rumors concern me</a>. Giving up a possible lottery pick to try and piece together a short-term playoff team risks too much and keeps the Trail Blazers in the limbo they have lounged in for several years. Understandably, the franchise wants to build a contender while Damian Lillard is invested and in his prime. With some patience, Portland can without sacrificing sustainibility.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Draft assets: First-round pick (7.5% chance at No. 1), Second-round pick, Second-round pick (via Chicago)
Potential free agents: Jeremy Lamb, Josh Jackson, Damian Jones, Donte DiVincenzo (restricted), Neemias Queta (restricted), Trey Lyles (team option)
Central question: How does Sacramento turn into a competitive NBA defense?
The Kings have trotted out lackluster defenses for as long as I can remember. In fact, they haven't ranked above 20th in Defensive Rating since 2005-06 &mdash; notably, the last time they made the playoffs.
And that didn't change under interim head coach Alvin Gentry. (Gentry will not return as head coach next season, but is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-alvin-gentry-no-longer-interim-coach-of-the-kings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in talks for a front-office role</a>, per ESPN.) However, the on-paper roster actually shines some hope. Davion Mitchell made highlight reels out of his "Off-Night" defense. Justin Holiday is a solid individual defender, as is Harrison Barnes, and even De'Aaron Fox has his sporadic moments.&nbsp;
Can Sacramento find a head coach who turns a group of intriguing players with defensive potential into even an average squad? What draft and free agency options exist? Of course, the Kings would like to end their NBA-leading playoff drought. That'll come with changing the culture on defense.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Draft assets: First-round pick (2.5% chance at No. 1, depends on Play-In results), Second-round pick (via Dallas)
Potential free agents: Bradley Beal (player option), Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto, Tomas Satoransky, Anthony Gill (restricted), Cassius Winston (restricted)
Central question: What style of guard play is a feasible best fit?
Okay, so obviously the biggest question mark surrounds Bradley Beal's free agency. But from a conceptual standpoint, Washington has tried and failed over the past few seasons to find Beal's best-fitting partner in crime. John Wall, Russell Westbrook and Spencer Dinwiddie were each supposed to provide the downhill juice Beal lacks. The Wizards either did this at serious expense of another skill area (Wall, Westbrook), or it just didn't translate their at-rim ability (Dinwiddie). All battled injuries as well.
"I think we need bigger guards," <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/bradley-beal-outlines-what-wizards-need-build-contender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beal said in March</a>. "We need more guys that can get in the paint for us, more ball-handlers, more guys that can really create and get two feet in the paint, but also who can knock down threes."
I mean, Beal's needs make total sense. The problem is that every other basketball team on Earth also wants this type of guard.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Ethan Fuller sets the offseason stage for each team that missed the NBA playoffs.

Summer plans for the NBA's 10 non-playoff teams

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors 128-123 on Friday night.
Avery Bradley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.5 seconds left in the extra session, putting the visitors up 125-123, then added a pair of free throws after a turnover by Toronto rookie Scottie Barnes.
Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves 10 as Los Angeles avenged Monday&rsquo;s home loss to the Raptors and ended Toronto&rsquo;s winning streak at five.
James shot 15 for 26 and went 2 for 7 from 3-point range. He had nine rebounds.
Barnes had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20.
Precious Achiuwa scored 18 points, but made a costly turnover in the final seconds of regulation that led to Westbrook&rsquo;s tying 3 with less than a second to play.
Toronto looked to have the game won after Trent hit a go-ahead 3 with 25 seconds left, and James and Westbrook both missed from distance at the other end, with Trent grabbing the rebound on Westbrook&rsquo;s shot.
Los Angeles got a break when Achiuwa turned the ball over with 5 seconds left and Westbrook hit a tying 3 with less than 1 second remaining. Toronto couldn&rsquo;t get a shot off on its final possession, sending it to OT.
The Lakers made their first six field-goal attempts of the game, including three from long range, to lead 15-5, but Toronto reclaimed the advantage with a 18-3 spurt. Making his first start for Los Angeles, Gabriel shot 6 for 6 in the first quarter and scored 14 points as the Lakers led 33-30 after one.
James scored 12 points in the second. Los Angeles led 59-55 at the half, but Barnes had 12 in the third as Toronto took an 89-88 lead to the fourth.
LOCOMOTIVE LEBRON
Beforehand, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he hasn&rsquo;t seen James slow down any with age.
&ldquo;To me, he&rsquo;s got the freight train game going,&rdquo; Nurse said. &ldquo;He gets in transition, and you&rsquo;ve got to be a man to stand in there and get in the way to slow him down.&rdquo;
GOOD WEEK FOR A.D.
Injured Lakers forward Anthony Davis tested his sprained right foot by taking some shots on the court before the game. Davis sat for the 12th straight game, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the star big man is making progress in the intensity of his work.
&ldquo;Anthony has had a good week,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s had a productive week.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Lakers: G Talen Horton-Tucker sat because of a sprained left ankle. F Carmelo Anthony and G Wayne Ellington were both sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.
Raptors: F OG Anunoby (fractured right ring finger) will be reevaluated in a week, Nurse said. Anunoby has missed the past 13 games. &hellip; Siakam scored 17 points.
UP NEXT
Lakers: At Washington on Saturday night.
Raptors: At Philadelphia on Sunday night.
&nbsp;

LeBron James scored 36 points and Russell Westbrook had a triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 128-123.

James scores 35, Lakers beat Raptors in OT, snap 3-game skid

After the Los Angeles Lakers were embarrassed by the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Tuesday night (before Los Angeles lost to a bad Portland Trail Blazers team missing half their roster), a reporter asked LeBron James how his squad stacks up against Milwaukee and the league's other elite teams.
LeBron gave a surprisingly candid response: "<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lakers-players-believe-changes-must-be-made-before-trade-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We ain't on their level</a>."
When asked if he believed the Lakers could eventually reach the Bucks' level this season, <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/lebron-james-admits-lakers-are-not-on-championship-level#:~:text=After%20the%20game%2C%20LeBron%20James,a%20flat%2C%20%22No.%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James replied</a>, "Where they are right now? I don't know. Do I think we can reach the level where Milwaukee is right now? No. Is that what you want to hear from me? No. We can't get to where they are right now. They're the defending champions for a reason and I guarantee you if you would've asked teams coming out of the bubble if they could get to the level that we were playing at when we won a championship, they would've said the same thing."
Let's flashback to the championship group for a second, shall we?
It may seem like it's been 16 years or so since LeBron led LA to a title in the bubble, but, incredibly, it's been less than 16 months. The Lakers beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Finals on Oct. 11, 2020. The team's two cornerstones, Anthony Davis and LeBron, remain, but the rest of the rotation has been turned over completely.&nbsp;
So, how did this team go from raising the Larry O'Brien trophy, to being four games under .500 and fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament just a year-and-a-half later?&nbsp;
Let's break it down.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
In the offseason following their championship, LA's major move was trading Danny Green (a significant two-way contributor on their title team) and LA's 2021 first-round pick (Jaden McDaniels) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Dennis Schroder. That summer, LA re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (three years, $39 million) and used its cap space to ink free agent Montrezl Harrell to a two-year, $18.9 million contract. They also brought in Wesley Matthews and Markieff Morris for the veteran minimum and inked Marc Gasol to a two-year, $5.3 million deal.&nbsp;
In mid-March, in the days leading up to last season's trade deadline, the Lakers were cruising. More than halfway through the 2020-21 campaign, the Lakers' were 15 games above .500 and owned the league's second-best record at 28-13.&nbsp;
At that point, the Lakers made a decision that would come back to haunt them. Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but the Lakers arrived at a fork in the road and chose the wrong path. They've been headed downhill ever since. (Over the past 11 months, the Lakers are 43-51 in the 94 games they've played).&nbsp;
On the eve of the 2021 trade deadline, the Lakers and Toronto Raptors were engaged in serious discussions on a potential deal that would have sent Kyle Lowry to LaLa Land, giving LeBron and Co. the established veteran point guard (and proven winner) the team desperately needed. The Lakers and Raps <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> were close to finalizing a swap sending Schroder, Caldwell-Pope and some draft capital to Toronto in exchange for Lowry. Yet, in the hours right before the deadline arrived, "the sticking point was the inclusion of Talen Horton-Tucker," <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic</a>.&nbsp;
"Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' vice president of basketball operations, insisted that price was too high for the 35-year-old Lowry, and that he was not willing to trade Horton-Tucker, the 20-year-old combo guard who has emerged as a valuable rotation player for the Lakers in his second season," Buha and Oram <a href="https://theathletic.com/2477311/2021/03/25/what-the-lakers-were-willing-to-trade-for-kyle-lowry-and-what-it-says-about-the-future/">reported</a>.
Looking back, it's impossible not to wonder how the future of several franchises might have changed if the Lakers had been willing to pony up for Lowry, who is now averaging 13.0 points and 8.1 assists per game for the Heat. This is the same Heat team that is poised to enter the All-Star break with the best record in the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;
As we know, the Lakers stood pat at last year's deadline and would struggle mightily in the six subsequent weeks. Over a 25-game stretch from mid-March through the first week in May, LA posted an 8-17 record.
The Lakers would eventually be eliminated in six games by the Suns in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. Anthony Davis returned to the Lakers' starting lineup in Game 6 after missing the second half of Game 4 and all of Game 5 due to a groin injury, but logged just five minutes before limping off the court. It was the first and only time in LeBron's career that he lost a first-round series (he had been 14-0).
"What matters to me is getting this team back healthy," James told reporters after the loss to Phoenix.
Well, as it turns out, Pelinka and James were unwilling to run it back with the same squad and hope the group would avoid injuries.&nbsp;
Instead, the Lakers rolled the dice, agreeing to one of the most dramatic and controversial trades in recent NBA history.&nbsp;
On the evening of July 29, both Woj and Shams <a href="https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1420855153410854925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Lakers had consented to take on Russell Westbrook (and his onerous contract).&nbsp;
A week later, the trade was officially announced. LA had traded away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and the draft rights to Isaiah Jackson (whom the Lakers had selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) in exchange for Russ and several future second-rounders.&nbsp;
The justification from the Lakers was that they viewed Westbrook as an offensive powerhouse that could lighten the load LeBron had been forced to carry.&nbsp;
The Lakers rounded out their roster this past offseason by adding Trevor Ariza, Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk and Rajon Rondo. They gave Kendrick Nunn the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.9 million for two years). They also re-signed Horton-Tucker to a three-year deal worth $32 million.
Shockingly, despite advanced analytics that confirmed he was a near-perfect fit playing alongside LeBron, the Lakers decided not to bring back Alex Caruso, who had excelled as a role player in LA. Caruso's aggressiveness and versatility on the defensive end, as well as unselfishness on offense, made him an ideal wingman to AD and King James.&nbsp;
However, having Westbrook on the books for $44.2 million in 2021-22 and another $47.1 million in 2022-23 undoubtedly played a part in Pelinka's decision to let Carouso leave.&nbsp;
Still, as he explained on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/how-the-lakers-botched-alex-carusos-free-agency-and-lost-a-key-piece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JJ Redick's "Old Man and the Three" podcast</a> back in November, Carouso had hoped to re-sign with the Lakers and was even willing to give them a hometown discount. Before ultimately accepting the offer he received from Chicago (a four-year, $37 million contract, though the final season only carries a $3 million guarantee), <a href="https://twitter.com/oldmanandthree/status/1458257821405954052?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caruso said</a> he and his agent "went back to L.A., asked if they could do the same, they said no. We asked for something else that was a little bit less; they said no."
As it turns out, the concerns many critics envisioned over the summer related to potential issues arising from the addition of Westbrook have reared their ugly head. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Westbrook's declining athleticism has hamstrung the former All-Star.
At various points this season, Westbrook's alarming regression has been uncomfortable to watch. In the closing minutes of LA's victory over the New York Knicks last weekend, Russ found himself alone in the corner and as he was about to launch a three-pointer, the home crowd <a href="https://twitter.com/FanMahome/status/1490172360892329985">screamed at him not to shoot</a>. Coach Frank Vogel yanked him out of the lineup in overtime vs. New York. In the Lakers' embarrassing loss to the Bucks on Tuesday, Westbrook was benched for the final 14 minutes of the game, including the entire fourth quarter. Russ sat out Wednesday's loss to Portland with a "lower back" injury.&nbsp;
His counting stats on the season are solid (18/7/7), but the peripheral numbers are putrid, and his plus/minus is the worst on the team. This season, the Lakers have been outscored by 123 points with Westbrook on the floor, whereas they have outscored their opponents by 35 points with Russ on the bench.
The situation has careened toward rock-bottom this month. Over the Lakers' last four games, Westbrook is shooting just 27% from the floor, 15% from downtown and 55.0% from the free-throw line. He's also leading the league in turnovers.
Yet, now that the 2022 trade deadline has passed, we know that Lakers fans have no choice but to hope Russ can somehow locate his confidence and contribute to winning.&nbsp;
It has been rumored this week that the Houston Rockets were willing to trade John Wall to the Lakers for Westbrook, but Pelinka was reportedly unwilling to include LA's 2027 first-round pick, which Houston was demanding. Will the decision come back to bite LA, as refusing to include THT at last year's deadline did? Even if Wall failed to live up to expectations, would it have amounted to addition by subtraction?&nbsp;
Although Monk has been fantastic, and Melo has given LA as much as they could have hoped for, Howard, Ellington and Bazemore have failed to deliver. Ariza is averaging 4.2 points while shooting 36% from the floor. Rondo is no longer on the roster. Nunn, hampered by a bone bruise in his right knee, has yet to log a single second in an NBA game this season. Horton-Tucker is converting career-lows from the floor (41%) and behind the arc (27%). Despite playing nearly six more minutes per game, THT is averaging fewer assists this season (2.7) than he did in 2020-21, while still committing 1.5 turnovers a night.
Sum it all up, and you see why the Lakers have lost more than half of their games and find themselves in ninth place in the West, despite LeBron authoring the greatest season in NBA history by a 37-year-old.&nbsp;
This is a particularly bitter pill for Lakers fans to swallow considering the team purportedly had several different options to choose from this summer when shopping around their Kuz/&rsquo;Trez/draft picks package, including a deal for Sacramento sharpshooter Buddy Hield. In that scenario, the Lakers could have held onto KCP and added Hield, and the combined salary of both players still would have been $8 million less than Westbrook's cap hit of $44.2 million.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
To be fair, it's worth noting that in 2020-21, Westbrook played his best basketball of the season after the All-Star break. Over the Wizards' final 35 games of the season, he averaged 23.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 13.4 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting a respectable 44% from the floor, 32% from behind the arc and 72% from the FT line. Washington closed the regular season by going 17-6 over their final 23 contests and advanced to the playoffs.&nbsp;
Will Russ and his teammates feel less pressure now that the deadline has passed? LeBron and the Lakers don't need Westbrook to dominate the ball and chase triple-doubles, but they do need him to focus on playing the best defense of his career and help facilitate the offense, especially when James needs a breather.&nbsp;
If Russ cannot shake out of his slump, LA will have a very tough time getting back on track and achieving the goals they set for themselves back in October.&nbsp;
And if Los Angeles fails to right the ship (wasting a year of "Prime LeBron" in the process), the team's fans will look back with rage on the terrible trades and free-agency failures over the past 12 months that led to the Lakers' demise.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Tommy Beer delves into the errors of the Lakers' ways following their championship success one-and-a-half years ago.

How the Lakers managed to turn a contending team into a sub-.500 mess

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade during the 2021 NBA Draft, many eyes looked towards Hollywood as a new Big Three formed. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were already a dynamic duo with a championship on their resume together.
Westbrook&rsquo;s arrival was a massive change and, if it worked, fireworks would commence in the Western Conference&rsquo;s arms race for an NBA Finals berth. For multiple years, Los Angeles has been trying to find an ideal backcourt piece to take the ball-handling pressure off LeBron.
However, the fit with Westbrook from the beginning was viewed as clunky. Westbrook isn&rsquo;t a floor-spacer. Instead, he's an extremely high-usage, on-ball scorer who can facilitate an offense and push the pace.
If the Lakers wanted to see the Westbrook addition lead to a beautiful brand of consistently great basketball, everything around him, James and Davis included, would need to be perfect. Perimeter shooting was of the utmost importance, which Los Angeles addressed head-on during free agency, bringing aboard all of the following plus-40% three-point marksmen: Malik Monk, Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington and Kent Bazemore.
Here&rsquo;s the issue, though &mdash; only Monk and Anthony have made a significant dent within the Lakers&rsquo; full-time rotation. Bazemore is being openly shopped before the Feb. 10 trade deadline. Ellington&rsquo;s hot-and-cold stretches have been too damaging. Trevor Ariza was another offseason addition who has yet to make a certified impact.
So, when canvassing the Lakers&rsquo; entire list of issues, there&rsquo;s no wonder why LeBron&rsquo;s MVP-level heroics have been unable to pull them out of mediocrity. It also doesn&rsquo;t help that Davis has been sidelined for the past month with a sprained MCL.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Halfway through the season, Los Angeles is at .500 with a disappointing 21-21 record. LeBron is not at fault. Davis has been inconsistent when he's been on the court &mdash; nowhere close to superstar-type play &mdash; but who knows where the Lakers would be if he was currently available. The role players haven&rsquo;t stepped up on a consistent basis, which was the all-in bet Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka made when he brought Westbrook to Hollywood.
All roads lead back to Westbrook when it comes to the real issue at hand for Los Angeles. In the last three games, Westbrook has been a buzzkill for the Lakers, shooting 8 of 40 overall (20%). Even expanding out to a season-long sample size though, Westbrook&rsquo;s lack of adjustment to being a secondary option has been apparent whenever I tune into the Lakers.
Westbrook is averaging 18.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.1 assists while carrying a below-average 50.4% True Shooting percentage. The polarizing point guard has always checked in below the Mendoza line for efficiency, but that&rsquo;s been buffered by his sky-high usage rate throughout his career. As the No. 3 option &mdash; and more recently at No. 2 in AD&rsquo;s absence &mdash; Westbrook has been unable to find his footing even with the lowest usage rate since his second NBA season (27.6%). Another worrisome advanced metric for Westbrook is his 0.2 VORP (Value Over Replacement Player), which checks in as his worst since entering the league.
More times than not, Westbrook has looked lost when he&rsquo;s on the court alongside LeBron. It&rsquo;s eerily similar to the one-year stint Westbrook experienced with James Harden in Houston two seasons ago. That ended in a swift divorce, where Westbrook was sent to the Washington Wizards before ultimately winding up in Hollywood for the 2021-22 campaign.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I think my guy is officially broken mentally now <a href="https://t.co/bcZ4EZhjSd">pic.twitter.com/bcZ4EZhjSd</a>
&mdash; ⚡️ (@TheWestbrookEra) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWestbrookEra/status/1480416058188128256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

This is Westbrook&rsquo;s fourth team in four years. We know who the triple-double king is at this point in his illustrious career. We also know the answer to what he is within the construct of a team.
He can be the No. 1 option on a playoff contender, where he can put up his usual monster stat lines without issue. However, in this new environment in Los Angeles, Westbrook is wilting. The problem for Russ and the Lakers is there&rsquo;s one year remaining on his contract, a player option for an eye-popping $47.1 million.
There&rsquo;s already been smoke billowing from Los Angeles that the Lakers have been open to shopping Westbrook before February&rsquo;s trade deadline, including an offer to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons. (Unsurprisingly, Philly <a href="https://theathletic.com/3066096/2022/01/12/nba-trade-deadline-looms-but-ben-simmons-remains-a-sixer-what-do-we-know-and-which-teams-could-deal-for-him/?source=twitterhq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would not be interested in such a deal</a>.)
If the Lakers pulled off their trade for Buddy Hield on draft night instead of Westbrook, how different would they look? Hield&rsquo;s brilliance in perimeter shooting wouldn&rsquo;t cap their salary flexibility, which ultimately could've led to Alex Caruso re-signing in L.A.
Back at that time, it might've been a damning statement to say the Lakers would be better off with a combination of Hield and Caruso compared to Westbrook, but that&rsquo;s just how the cookie has crumbled for this awkward player-team fit.
The Lakers made their bed with the Westbrook trade, and now, they have to lie in it for (potentially) another 18 months. It&rsquo;s a shame, because the Lakers had the correct formula in mind to make this work on the court. However, a failure on the part of multiple role players, Davis' inconsistency and health &mdash; plus Westbrook looking like a deer in the headlights &mdash; has put the good news of LeBron&rsquo;s excellence at age 37 on the national media backburner.

Halfway through the 2021-22 season, the Russell Westbrook trade now looks like a huge disaster for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Russell Westbrook experiment has been a huge failure for Lakers

The NBA offseason is packed with entertaining events. In a matter of three or so months, the league undergoes free agency and trade season &ndash; and that&rsquo;s almost immediately after the Finals and the draft. And while everyone gets to experience all that is great about the NBA in a relatively short amount of time, it makes for a busy and pressure-filled time for NBA front offices &ndash; that can result in miscalculations.
The 2021 offseason had some abnormalities to contend with. The uncertain financial impact of COVID-19 and the free agent signings in the months leading up to free agency resulted in an underwhelming offseason.
Still, free agent signings and trades happened, even if it was on a smaller scale than normal. And what must surely result from NBA transactions? Regrettable transactions.
After seeing more than 40% of the season we can realistically judge the offseason&rsquo;s transactions with a modicum of accuracy. Sure, multi-year deals can&rsquo;t be graded in their entirety after less than half of a season, but slumps rarely persist for almost half a season, too. That leaves us in a gray area of sorts. Still, the impact of adding a player to a team&rsquo;s present and near-future salary cap is very real. So, after observing approximately half of a season, let&rsquo;s identify the worst deals of the 2021 offseason.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Evan Fournier Sign-and-Trade to the New York Knicks
Entering this season, Fournier was widely seen as an above-average scorer and playmaker. He represented a relatively big upgrade from Reggie Bullock for the Knicks, providing much needed offensive versatility. So, while the pairing felt a bit off (given the Knicks defensive-mindedness), the four-year, $73 million contract seemed like only a minor overpayment.
Fournier kicked off his time as a Knick with a bang, scoring 32 points in an opening night win against the Boston Celtics &ndash; but the honeymoon was short-lived. Through 38 games, Fournier is averaging just 13.5 points with an Effective Field Goal percentage (eFG%) of 52.5%. Comparatively, he averaged 17.1 points in 2020-21 and 18.5 in 2019-19 with eFG% of 56 and 56.5 respectively. He&rsquo;s also shooting a near-career worst 38.1% on threes attempts.
The fact that the Knicks are in such hot water indicates a degree of buyer&rsquo;s remorse. So, while their future is still quite bright thanks to their younger players, their salary cap optimism has probably been muted. The fact that Bullock was lured away by the Dallas Mavericks for a three-year, $30.5 million contract only adds to the team's frustrations. And while that&rsquo;s a hefty contract, too, considering it&rsquo;s netted just 6.0 points per game on 28.7% shooting from deep, it&rsquo;s quite a bit less than the Knicks are paying Fournier. But Bullock aside, the Knicks might wish they could get a redo on this one (although maybe not quite as much, after Thursday night's career-high scoring effort from Fournier).&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Russell Westbrook trade to the Los Angeles Lakers 
Did anyone outside the Lakers&rsquo; front office really think this was a good idea? Westbrook is a dynamic, albeit polarizing, player who&rsquo;s produced some of the most amazing individual seasons we&rsquo;ve ever witnessed. But he was never a fit for the Lakers &ndash; and, namely, not a good fit alongside LeBron James.
On a positive note, Westbrook's contract is up after next season. So, the long-term impact is limited, even if he is still owed more than $90 million between this season and 2022-23.
But there is significant downside, too. Let's start with Westbook's play &ndash; it's not great. Westbrook's scoring (19.5 points per game), assists (8.1) and rebounds (8.1) are all down. So is his PER (15.9), which is the second-worst of his career. His turnovers (4.6) are still up and he's still struggling on threes (30%).&nbsp;
There's also the fact that the Washington Wizards are in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, and their depth has a lot to do with that. Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell are averaging at least 25.4 minutes per game. Harrell is actually posting a career-best 25.1 PER. The Lakers could use that depth. Just look at their top minute getters: James (36.9 per game), Westbrook (35.8) and Anthony Davis (35.4) lead the way. After the Big Three, it gets messy thanks in part to COVID. Talen Horton-Tucker gets 28.2 per game, Carmelo Anthony receives 27.1 and Stanley Johnson &ndash; who was just signed last week &ndash; is averaging 25.2. Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Wayne Ellington and Austin Reaves are all averaging more than 20 minutes per game, too. Now imagine if they had a more talented rotation of role players&hellip;
Next, there are the rumors that the Lakers were in advanced talks with the Sacramento Kings about swapping Kuzma for Kings sharpshooter Buddy Hield instead. Hield-to-Los Angeles makes so much more sense. He&rsquo;s the type of player who does well in a catch-and-shoot role. Hield is shooting better than 40% on threes across his 424 game career. Plus, the Lakers would have kept Harrell and Pope, meaning that the 15th best long-range shooting team could have added a top shooter (while subtracting a seriously subpar shooter in Westbrook ). Not to mention, they could have hung on to two quality role players.
And finally, there&rsquo;s the reality of James&rsquo; age and career trajectory. James is still playing insanely well, especially for a 37-year-old. But let&rsquo;s be honest, it won&rsquo;t be that way forever. In all likelihood, he will show more signs of aging over the next season or so. Unfortunately, Westbrook being signed through the end of 2022-23 eliminates cap flexibility, meaning that additional help will be hard to find until 2023-24, at which point James will turn 39. That's not a great outcome for a team hoping to win at least one more championship with their current core.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17476468_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
Duncan Robinson re-signs with the Miami Heat
As the NBA season approaches its midway point, the Heat are pretty much exactly where we thought they would be. They&rsquo;re currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, boasting the seventh-best defensive and offensive ratings. And Kyle Lowry has fit perfectly with Miami&rsquo;s culture. But one thing isn&rsquo;t working, Robinson &ndash; and it&rsquo;s surpassingly due to a lack marksmanship.
Robinson signed his first big deal this past offseason to the tune of five-years and $90 million. And while that&rsquo;s a lot of money, Robison&rsquo;s shooting touch nearly warranted it. He shot 40.8 percent on 8.5 long-range attempts last season and 44.6% on 8.3 attempts per game in 2019-20.
But Robinson has struggled to replicate such performances. He&rsquo;s shooting just 34.6% on threes this season, and he hasn&rsquo;t made up for his slump elsewhere. He's down to 79.3% on free throws after shooting 82.7% last season and 93.1% in 2019-20. And he&rsquo;s connecting on just 52.2% of two-point attempts, after shooting 61.4% last season and 66.7% in 2019-20.
Ultimately, the bounce back performance of Tyler Herro is overshadowing Robinson&rsquo;s poor play, and the law of large numbers will probably win out with Robinson bouncing back at some point. In fact, there is a glimmer of hope in that he shot 37.6% on threes in December, which is less than ideal but better than he did in October and November.
A five-year, $90 million contract sounds like a lot, but to be fair Joe Harris signed a four-year, $75 million deal in late 2020, and Davis Bertans signed for five years and $80 million. Ironically, both players have been mentioned as being available this season, but Robinson signed at the going rate for a great knock-down shooter. If Robinson can get his shot back, this deal becomes infinitely more bearable.
The fact that players are assets is an unfortunate truth of professional sports. Love them or hate them, if players underperform for long enough it will inevitably draw the ire of their teams. What happens from there varies from team to team, but the business of basketball wins out more than not.

Drew Maresca takes a look trades and signings from the 2021 offseason that some teams might rather take back.

2021 Offseason redos: Decisions teams wish they could take back

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both had triple-doubles and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a season-high, five-game skid with a 132-123 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;The hardest thing to do in this league is win," James said. &ldquo;So when you win you never take it for granted."
James had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his third triple-double this season, and it was his fifth consecutive 30-point game. Westbrook scored 24 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh of the season.
Houston stuck around for most of the night, but James took over late to allow the Lakers to pull away and hand the Rockets their fifth consecutive loss.
&ldquo;For us to battle through this together and to finish the way we did with LeBron and Russ doing it together, bringing it home, I think that&rsquo;s a big step forward in this," said assistant coach David Fizdale, who was filling in for a fifth straight game for coach Frank Vogel because of COVID-19 protocols.
The Rockets trailed by one when James was called for goaltending on a layup by Jalen Green that would have put Houston on top with 2 &frac12; minutes left. But the Lakers challenged the call, and it was overturned. Carmelo Anthony made a 3-pointer a few seconds later to extend the lead to 120-116.
James added two free throws after that and his one-handed dunk after a turnover by Houston made it 124-116 with less than 90 seconds to go.
Kevin Porter Jr.&rsquo;s 3-pointer got Houston within five before James struck again, making a layup to extend the lead to 126-119 with less than a minute remaining. James made four free throws after that to secure the victory.
&ldquo;I just feel like I&rsquo;m in a really good offensive zone right now," he said.
Green, the second overall pick in this year&rsquo;s draft, led the Rockets with 24 points after missing 15 of the last 16 games with a strained left hamstring.
&ldquo;We expected to win," Houston coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We had no problems standing up to those guys, not backing down. They had some great players out there that played very well. Russ with the triple-double, LeBron with the triple-double and Melo doing his thing. It was tough."
Anthony had 24 points off the bench on a night James started at center and big men Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan didn't play.
James said it was the first time he'd started at center at any level of basketball.
&ldquo;I never played center in my life before," he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been on the wing or handling the ball."
Fizdale raved about the versatility James showed in his role Tuesday night.
&ldquo;This guy is unbelievable," he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all very lucky as basketball people to get to watch what we&rsquo;re watching with this man."
The Lakers took the lead by scoring the last five points of the third quarter and opened the fourth with a 6-0 run to make it 103-92 with 11 minutes to go.
Green got Houston going after that, making two 3-pointers during a 10-2 spurt that cut the deficit to 105-102.
Porter had 22 points and nine assists in his return after missing the last 12 games with a bruised thigh. Christian Wood also scored 22.
Josh Christopher tied it on a layup with less than a minute left in the third quarter. But the Lakers scored the last five points of the quarter, capped by a 3 from Westbrook, to take a 97-92 lead into the fourth quarter. Westbrook pointed at the L.A. bench and smiled broadly as he walked off the court after the shot.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Fizdale, said that Vogel was getting close to returning but he wasn&rsquo;t sure exactly when he could rejoin the team. ... Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Austin Reaves and Rajon Rondo missed the game because of health and safety protocols. ... Wayne Ellington missed the game for an illness that the team said was not COVID-19 related.
Rockets: D.J. Augustin, Kenyon Martin Jr., Garrison Mathews and Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate were out because of health and safety protocols.
BILES AT BASKETBALL
Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles took part in the team's first shot promotion for charity before the game. Biles didn't make the free throw but Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta still donated $1,000 to the team's foundation in her name for the effort.
UP NEXT
Lakers: Visit Memphis Wednesday night.
Rockets: Host Miami Friday night.

LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both had triple-doubles and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a season-high, five-game skid.

LeBron, Westbrook have triple-doubles, Lakers' skid ends at 5

Here are the five best fits with T&mdash;nah, just kidding. This isn&rsquo;t going to be that simplistic.
But a handful of teams should value Orlando Magic swingman Terrence Ross, who is being made available for trade, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthleticNBA/status/1470457239097987084" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to a report from The Athletic</a>. To the surprise of absolutely no one, the desired compensation is highlighted by a first-round pick.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Terrence Ross had the bench going wild 😳 <a href="https://t.co/qXkFA7bWVy">pic.twitter.com/qXkFA7bWVy</a>
&mdash; NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1468805359896719363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Maybe the Magic could get one, but who knows? The 6-foot-6 wing and 10-year pro will turn 31 years old in February and will make $11.5 million next season &mdash; the last of a <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2811230-report-terrence-ross-re-signs-with-magic-on-4-year-54m-contract#:~:text=Orlando%20Magic-,Report%3A%20Terrence%20Ross%20Agrees%20to%20Re%2DSign%20with%20Magic%20on,4%2DYear%2C%20%2454M%20Contract&amp;text=The%20Orlando%20Magic%20maintained%20a,according%20to%20ESPN's%20Adrian%20Wojnarowski." target="_blank" rel="noopener">$54 million four-year extension signed in July 2019</a>. Ross&rsquo; salary for this current campaign is listed at $12.5 million.
Additionally, the University of Washington alum is statistically having his worst season since 2017-18, averaging <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/players/terrence-ross-31">10.8 points on 39/30/86 shooting splits</a>, save for his free-throw percentage; it&rsquo;s well below his 13.9 points on 41/35/86 splits in now six seasons with the Magic. But, in fairness, the Magic are 5-23 as of this writing, and you may remember how motivated PJ Tucker looked while toiling away on last season&rsquo;s nomadic Houston Rockets.
Riiight, so let&rsquo;s give Ross a break here.
Ross provides shooting that is consistently streakier than it is sharp. Anyone who never averaged more than 16 points per game in a season but <a href="https://youtu.be/mX03ZWmiwzI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">managed to go for 51</a> before might be one of the reasons there is a microwave badge in every NBA 2K game.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
That said, there are several playoff (and maybe even championship) teams with high aspirations who may want to add an affordable, athletic veteran swingman to bolster their offense.
Boston Celtics
Orlando receives: Juancho Hernang&oacute;mez ($6.9 million), Romeo Langford ($3.8 million) and draft capital
Boston receives: Terrence Ross
Josh Richardson makes $11.6 million this season and $12.2 million next, making for a perfect match... but what for? Juancho Hernang&oacute;mez, like Richardson, is signed through next season, but at only $7.4 million. If you package him with 2019 No. 14 overall pick Romeo Langford, who makes $5.6 million next season, the financial end is taken care of. From there, the Celtics have their <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Celtics.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">own firsts and a ton of second-rounders</a> to play with. The Magic would also get a buy-low option in Langford, which reflects much of what they&rsquo;ve been accumulating in their rebuild anyway.
Denver Nuggets
Orlando receives: JaMychal Green ($8.2 million), Bol Bol ($2.2 million) and draft capital
Denver receives: Terrence Ross
Will Barton ($15.6 million) and Monte Morris ($8.5 million) are the closest to Ross&rsquo; $12.5 million, but neither should be included in this deal. With injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. &mdash; both of whom could be out for the season &mdash; the Nuggets do need massive help offensively. They signed Davon Reed last week, <a href="https://www.numberfire.com/nba/player-news/186824/davon-reed-starting-for-nuggets-saturday-in-place-of-inactive-will-barton">who has already started a game</a>, and the team is currently 24th in scoring, 27th in pace, and dead last in free-throw attempts.
Even with injuries, a healthy JaMychal Green only sees 14.4 minutes per contest, and Bol Bol is in Year 3 of waiting, only having logged 47 minutes in 10 appearances so far. Green has a player option for $8.2 million next season, and Bol is in the final year of his rookie deal. If any team is inclined to finally free Bol, it&rsquo;s Orlando. <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Nuggets.htm">Regarding draft picks</a>, the Nuggets shouldn&rsquo;t give a first, but they have control of most of their own, save for two. Their 2023 pick is lottery protected and in Oklahoma City, and their 2025 first is top-five protected in, of all places, Orlando. Denver controls its second-rounders from 2024 through 2026 and every year from 2028 onward.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Phoenix Suns
Orlando receives: Dario Sarić ($8.5 million), Jalen Smith ($4.5 million) and draft capital
Phoenix receives: Terrence Ross
Again, Orlando is 5-23: Why would the Magic care if Sarić &mdash; who tore his ACL during the NBA Finals &mdash; can&rsquo;t play, so long as they could get some sort of draft relief for Ross? Saric is even due $9.2 million next season. Smith, who was drafted No. 10 overall in 2020, is the ultra-rare lottery pick whose <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-admit-mistake-drafting-jalen-smith-no-10-overall-in-2020-declining-thirdyear-option-rare-is-phoenix-suns-declining-jalen-smiths-third-year-option#:~:text=The%20Suns%20declined%20Jalen%20Smith's,this%20season%20at%20%244.4%20million." target="_blank" rel="noopener">third-year option was declined;</a> he will be a free agent in 2022. That said, the Magic could talk themselves into throwing him out there and seeing if he&rsquo;s worth keeping on a team-friendly deal.
To this point, the 21-year-old Smith has logged 213 career minutes over just 35 appearances. This trade package will likely be offered for a Ross-type of player (in salary, not necessarily style), and it works here if you think he&rsquo;s an upgrade in the spot currently occupied by Landry Shamet. The Suns control <a href="https://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Suns.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of their upcoming picks</a> except for their 2022 first-rounder, which is top-12 protected and in OKC, and will likely convey.
THREE-TEAM DEAL CANDIDATES 
When you go through NBA rosters, you realize that the league has a problem related to financial classes. There are a bunch of max or near-max players, and numerous others making sub-$5 million, with a thinning middle-class. Therefore, trades are harder to construct than they seem, even though Ross&rsquo;s salary isn&rsquo;t exorbitant by league standards. That said, other teams could make a play for Ross, but it&rsquo;ll need to be aided by at least one other team&rsquo;s participation.
The Los Angeles Lakers have 10 players on minimum contracts, none higher than the $2.6 million slots occupied by Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Rajon Rondo, DeAndre Jordan, Wayne Ellington, Avery Bradley, and Dwight Howard. Kendrick Nunn, who still hasn&rsquo;t played yet, is getting $5 million this season, with a player option for $5.3 million next year. Talen Horton-Tucker is at $9.5 million this season, followed by $10.2 million and an additional $11 million player option afterward, but he most likely isn&rsquo;t getting moved for Ross.&nbsp;
The Philadelphia 76ers can&rsquo;t trade Furkan Korkmaz until March (which is really after the season because the deadline is in February), but it would be ideal to give Ross his minutes. Korkmaz is getting, on average, $5 million a year between now and the 2023-24 season. Danny Green is getting $10 million, but don&rsquo;t count on it. The Sixers will need some help, which will be hard to find mid-season. (Bad enough that they can&rsquo;t <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-ben-simmons-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">figure out that whole Ben Simmons thing</a>, huh?)

Bryan Fonseca ponders which teams should target Magic microwave scorer Terrence Ross, who is reportedly available.

Examining potential trade destinations for Terrence Ross

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis had 34 points and 15 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-106 on Sunday.
Talen Horton-Tucker scored 17 points in his season debut for the Lakers, and Carmelo Anthony and Wayne Ellington each had 15 points.
Los Angeles led by 14 points in the second half, then held on improve to 3-3 since LeBron James was sidelined Nov. 4 because of an abdominal strain. The Lakers have won four overall games this season without James, including a 125-121 overtime victory in San Antonio on Oct. 26.
Davis had the big game two days after the Lakers were humbled by 24 points in a home loss to Minnesota, with the All-Star forward saying afterward that the performance was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/anthony-davis-rips-76-lakers-a-championship-team-not-us-right-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&ldquo;embarrassing&rdquo; and that the team lacked effort</a> in a deciding third quarter.
On Sunday, he made a concerted effort to lead by example.
&ldquo;I wanted to come out and dominate the game and do whatever I could to get the team going,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the type of energy you need from our bench, our star players, our role players.&rdquo;
Dejounte Murray had a triple-double for the Spurs with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Keldon Johnson scored 24 points. Murray&rsquo;s other triple-double came in the previous meeting against the Lakers.
San Antonio lost for the fifth time in its last seven games and fell in the opener of consecutive games at Los Angeles, with a meeting against the surging Clippers on Tuesday night.
&ldquo;I was really happy with their effort,&rdquo; Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;Too many turnovers tonight against those guys, but we never gave in. They kept playing, they&rsquo;re getting better. They&rsquo;ve got to keep their energy up.&rdquo;
The Spurs gave up 19 points on 15 turnovers, while scoring 15 points on 16 Lakers turnovers.
Davis scored 19 points in the first quarter on 8-of-10 shooting and had 27 points in the half. The return of Horton-Tucker also helped with the early energy level. The third-year player found a comfort zone in the second half with 12 points.
&ldquo;We have a strong belief in that young man and what he can do on both sides of the ball,&rdquo; Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said about Horton-Tucker. &ldquo;Obviously, when we get whole, we have a log of good choices, but he&rsquo;s going to be a big part of it.&rdquo;
The Spurs pulled to 105-103 with 2:41 remaining on a 3-pointer from Doug McDermott. The Lakers had a 7-0 run to take control, getting a 3-pointer from Anthony with 1:46 to go for a 110-103 lead and a layup from Russell Westbrook for a 112-103 edge.
Westbrook finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Malik Monk had 16 points for the Lakers.
&ldquo;One day at a time, that&rsquo;s all I can tell you,&rdquo; Westbrook said when asked if the Lakers are close to being the team they hoped to be with James&rsquo; return around the corner. &ldquo;We hope so, but we&rsquo;ll take it one day at a time and slowly get guys back and get it turned around.&rdquo;
Devin Vassell added 19 points for San Antonio, and Thaddeus Young had 17.
&ldquo;They just got to keep their energy up and their belief up that the worm will turn as long as we continue to execute better and better,&rdquo; Popovich said.
TIP-INS
Spurs: C Jakob Poeltl was eligible to return from COVID-19 protocols but watched from the bench in street clothes as he works on his conditioning. Poeltl &ldquo;might be available&rdquo; for Tuesday&rsquo;s game against the Clippers, according to Popovich. &hellip; F Keita Bates-Diop played three minutes Sunday after missing two games with a lower back bruise.
Lakers: Horton-Tucker (thumb) was in the starting lineup for his season debut and made his first basket on a 3-pointer just under four minutes into the game. &hellip; Anthony made his first start of the season after starting three times in 69 games for the Portland Trail Blazers last season. It was his 1,118th career start.
UP NEXT:
Spurs: At Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
Lakers: Host Chicago on Monday night.

Anthony Davis had 34 points and 15 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the San Antonio Spurs 114-106 on Sunday.

Lakers beat Spurs 114-106 behind Anthony Davis' 34 points, 15 boards

Following the Los Angeles Lakers&rsquo; 107-83 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, Anthony Davis didn&rsquo;t mince words when discussing his team&rsquo;s struggles &mdash; particularly in the third quarter (when Los Angeles was outscored 40-12 by Minnesota).
"We sucked," Davis said. "No defense. Can't score. That's not just this third quarter; every third quarter we've played this season, we&rsquo;ve come out slow, lackadaisical offensively and defensively. We got to get it together. Why? I can't tell you. But we gotta do a better job. I mean, we scored 12 points in the third quarter, and they scored 40. That&rsquo;s the game right there."
Davis is right: The Lakers have been outscored in the third quarter in eight of their 13 games (including five times by double digits). On the season, Los Angeles has been beaten 408-321 in third quarters.
&ldquo;Obviously, our effort hasn't been good enough in the third quarter consistently throughout this season," Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said. "We&rsquo;re talking about it and we&rsquo;re challenging our guys to be better. We were getting beat to loose balls, we weren&rsquo;t keeping our man in front of us, we weren&rsquo;t taking pride in protecting the rim, and I think we lost four or five loose balls consecutively. We gotta be better with that.&rdquo;
Davis said that this defeat felt very similar to the Lakers' loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 6, since the team played with barely any effort or energy in both contests.
&ldquo;We gotta decide who we want to be. A championship team? That's not us right now,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;We're not winning a championship the way we're playing. We have to be better, and we have to care more for our wins at home and our wins in general. That was embarrassing. To be up five at the half&hellip; obviously, this team shoots a lot of threes and they have guys who can score the basketball, but there was just no effort in the third quarter.&rdquo;
&ldquo;No sense of urgency,&rdquo; Wayne Ellington said. &ldquo;We come out slow, trying to get into the game instead of coming out at full speed. It's been a struggle for us and something that we gotta be better at. Tonight, there was no excuse. We were all disappointed.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Sometimes, we come out and are fine; sometimes, we don't,&rdquo; Russell Westbrook added. &ldquo;The inconsistency is a problem.&rdquo;
The Lakers are now 7-6, which puts them in the Western Conference's seventh seed (and 4.5 games back from the first-place Golden State Warriors). 
Los Angeles currently has the NBA's 23rd-ranked offense (scoring 102.7 points per 100 possessions) and 14th-ranked defense (allowing104.4 points per 100 possessions).
&ldquo;What we can't do is point the finger [like], 'It was you! It was you! This play was you!' We have to stay together,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;And we stay together, but we also got to learn from the film. Film tomorrow is going to be big for us, to have another heart-to-heart about these types of games. We hate feeling this way. Obviously, we're going to lose games; everyone loses games. But [it's about] doing it the right way, having a team actually beat us and not beating ourselves. Those are the frustrating ones, when we beat ourselves&hellip; We hate losing games like that. But we have to learn from it and, most importantly, we have to stay together.&rdquo;
While the Lakers were missing LeBron James, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, Trevor Ariza and Austin Reaves on Friday night, Davis and his teammates felt that they still should&rsquo;ve won this game.
&ldquo;It's still fairly early &mdash; it's only game 13 &mdash; and we still don't have all of our guys back. But we have enough guys to win basketball games and we gotta continue to do what we do and play Lakers basketball,&rdquo; Davis explained. &ldquo;Some games we see it, some games we don&rsquo;t. We&rsquo;ll see it for a half, but the other half we don&rsquo;t&hellip; We gotta put together a stretch of games where we&rsquo;re playing our style of basketball for 48 minutes and live with that result.&rdquo;
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no excuse for us to come in and have a performance like we did tonight,&rdquo; Ellington added. &ldquo;That team is not better than us.&rdquo;
While the team is frustrated about these recent struggles, it&rsquo;s important to realize that the Lakers are going through an adjustment period after bringing in so many new players. Only three players returned from last year&rsquo;s squad: James, Davis and Horton-Tucker. They&rsquo;ve added 14 new players and while some are familiar faces &mdash; like Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley, who were on the team as recently as the 2019-20 championship season &mdash; it&rsquo;s taking time for this group to get on the same page.
&ldquo;We know that we&rsquo;re a good team," Davis said. "You think about the long-term and that big-picture goal, but we want to win now. And it just sucks because we don't know our full team, our full capability of what guys can bring to the team. But when we get everybody back, we know that we'll be a great team. But we still gotta do what we do, no matter who's on the floor. We still have to follow our principles on both ends of the floor.&rdquo;
"It's all new, man," Ellington explained. "We're all getting adjusted and we're all still learning each other. Obviously, we want to win games while we learn each other, but [it&rsquo;s tough]... Guys have been in and out and we really haven&rsquo;t had a steady lineup yet this season, and we understand that. We see the big picture. But at the same time, we feel like we could be jelling a bit better. But we also understand that it takes time and that this is a marathon. We have a veteran team [with] guys who have played a lot of games in this league, and nobody is ready to go crazy&hellip; It's a process, man. We're all learning each other and it takes time; it don't happen overnight... But I feel like it&rsquo;s going to start coming together, for sure.&rdquo;
The Lakers will look to bounce back on Sunday afternoon as they host the San Antonio Spurs, followed by a date with the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.&nbsp;

Anthony Davis called out the struggling Lakers after their 107-83 loss to the Wolves: "We sucked... We gotta decide who we want to be."

Anthony Davis rips 7-6 Lakers: 'A championship team? Not us right now'

It may be a roster like none other.
The Los Angeles Lakers have four of the NBA&rsquo;s top seven active scorers. The top three leading active rebounders. Three of the top four active leaders in assists. Three of the top five in blocks. Three of the top five in wins. Four of the top six in steals. They could even have five Olympic gold medalists on the floor at once and another on the bench.
Given all that talent &mdash; LeBron James leading the way, with a half-dozen players on the roster with at least reasonable chances of one day being elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame &mdash; it&rsquo;s easy to see why the Lakers would be a fashionable pick to emerge as the Western Conference representative in the NBA Finals this season.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited for what&rsquo;s in store for us this year,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;But every day is a process. Every day, it&rsquo;s all about the journey and then you just put in the work.&rdquo;
James and Anthony Davis are back from the team that won the 2020 NBA championship &mdash; two seasons, yet only 12 months ago. Talen Horton-Tucker was also on that team, but didn&rsquo;t play in the NBA Finals. Everyone else is new, or sort of new, to the Lakers.
Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard were on that team, left the Lakers and since returned. Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and DeAndre Jordan were among those added this offseason.
Anthony, Trevor Ariza, James, Howard and Rondo are all 35 or older already, and Wayne Ellington &mdash; another newcomer &mdash; turns 34 in November.
&ldquo;The narrative about our age, I kind of laugh at it,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;I really do laugh. I&rsquo;m not just saying that.&rdquo;
Even with all that proven talent, the Lakers are no lock to get back to the finals. A look at the West, in predicted order of finish:
PLAYOFF BOUND
1. Los Angeles Lakers. Old, yes. Good, yes. Really good ... time will tell. James convinced players like Anthony and Westbrook to run with him, which suggests he&rsquo;s loading up for a title run.
2. Phoenix Suns. Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton made it work last season, but the Suns won&rsquo;t be surprising anyone this year. Coach Monty Williams pushed every right button last season.
3. Utah Jazz. Donovan Mitchell&rsquo;s ankle played a big role in Utah&rsquo;s playoff demise last season. He&rsquo;s raring to go, and with him, Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles there&rsquo;s no reason why the Jazz shouldn&rsquo;t think title.
4. Denver Nuggets. Michael Malone remains one of the league&rsquo;s underrated coaches. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is all-worldly good, Jamal Murray will be back and Denver&rsquo;s defense gives it a chance every night.
5. Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry was MVP-level good last year. Klay Thompson&rsquo;s return will be a big lift whenever it happens. Andre Iguodala returns for his final season. There&rsquo;s nothing not to like here.
6. Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic just keeps getting better and better. New coach Jason Kidd, who won a title in Dallas as a player, will have this team scoring a ton of points. The wild-card: Kristaps Porzingis.
INTO THE PLAY-IN
7. Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers might do just enough to get into the playoff mix, then get a healthy and well-rested Kawhi Leonard back from his knee rehab for the stretch run. A scary proposition for opponents.
8. Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard is as good of a scorer and leader as there is in the game, and surely will benefit from being part of the Olympic team this summer. Blazers must &mdash; must &mdash; take a leap forward.
9. San Antonio Spurs. The easiest thing Gregg Popovich could have done was take his Olympic gold medal, retire and enjoyed wine for the rest of his life. He came back for a reason. Don&rsquo;t forget the Spurs.
10. Memphis Grizzlies. Steven Adams playing pick-and-roll with Ja Morant should lead to automatic scores. And Morant is on his way to elite, without question. But the Grizzlies are still so very young.
FACING LONG ODDS
11. New Orleans Pelicans. Zion Williamson is the key to everything. If he&rsquo;s great, they&rsquo;ll be higher.
12. Sacramento Kings. This is way too low for the Kings. Then again, the West is also that good.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves. This is the T'Wolves fate &mdash; unless they are winners of the Ben Simmons Trade Sweepstakes.
14. Houston Rockets. Jalen Green is going to put up enormous numbers and contend for top rookie.
15. Oklahoma City Thunder. At some point, the basketball world will learn what all those draft picks will become.
WHAT TO KNOW
FANDUEL SAYS ...
<a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-finals">FanDuel Sportsbook also lists the Lakers</a> as the pick to come out of the West, since the Lakers are the second-choice behind Brooklyn when it comes to NBA title odds. The other top five NBA Finals contenders in the West, in order, based on FanDuel odds: Golden State, Utah, Phoenix, then the Clippers.
When just betting on the West race, the order is a bit different with a top five of the Lakers, Golden State and the Clippers tied for second, followed by Utah and Phoenix.
MVP RACE
There has never been a stretch of four consecutive international MVPs in the NBA. That might change this year, if a couple of West stars do what many expect they will. Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo won in 2019 and 2020, Jokic won in 2021, and Jokic and Doncic have to be considered among the frontrunners in 2022.
TO THE END
The last shot James took in the 2020-21 regular season was a made layup with 6:41 left in the season finale against New Orleans, giving him 25 points. He was subbed out six seconds later and didn&rsquo;t return. The significance was this: It gave James a scoring average of 25.02 points for the season &mdash; extending his record streak of 25-point-average seasons to 17 in a row. Had he not gotten that final basket, he&rsquo;d have averaged 24.98 points and (technically, anyway) the streak would have ended.
3&rsquo;S REMAIN WILD
Utah set an NBA record last season by averaging 16.7 made 3-pointers per game. That means the top seven entries on that list in NBA history are all filled by West teams: Houston (16.1 in 2018-19), Portland (15.7 last season), Houston (15.6 in 2019-20), Houston (15.3 in 2017-18), Dallas (15.1 in 2019-20) and Golden State (14.6 last season).
WEST VS. EAST
The champs may hail from Milwaukee and the Eastern Conference, but the Western Conference &mdash; again &mdash; won the head-to-head against the other side of the league last season. West teams won 54% of their games against the East. It marked the 12th straight season and 21st time in the last 22 years that the West held a edge over the East.

it’s easy to see why the Lakers would be a fashionable pick to emerge as the West's representative in the NBA Finals this season.

Oldies but goodies: The Lakers may be ones to catch in West

The 2021-22 NBA season could not inch forward any slower.
We're nine days away from opening night, and I would certainly like to get past placing an asterisk that says, "Hey there, it's the preseason," over every observation I make. But we're not there yet.
So, let's look back at 2020-21 one final time and see what it tells us about the upcomng season. Sportradar keeps track of nifty shot-type and shot-distance data. If managed correctly, the info can help us identify some of the league's most unique scorers.
For example, Davis Bertans led the NBA in Average Shot Distance last season among players who appeared in at least 30 games. He was the only player in the NBA whose average shot distance &mdash; 24.8 feet &mdash; was farther than a three-pointer. Bertans attempted just 29 layups and five dunks in all of 2020-21, meaning nearly 90% of his field goal attempts came behind the arc.&nbsp;
Behind Bertans were his former Wizards teammate Garrison Mathews (23.4 feet), Isaiah Joe (23.3 feet), Duncan Robinson (22.8) and Wayne Ellington (22.4). It's logical that these five sharpshooters, who are basically confined to their specialist roles, rank the highest overall.
However, this doesn't tell the complete story. Elite shooters like Stephen Curry get bogged down because they take all sorts of shots inside and outside the arc. Who lets it fly from the longest range when they take threes? Per Sportradar (min. 200 3PA), that would be a tie between Damian Lillard and Trae Young, who fired away from an average distance of 27.7 feet. Curry was close behind in third (27.6).&nbsp;
The most surprising note in this category might be that Kristaps Porzingis sits fourth, with his triples coming from 27.1 feet from the basket on average &mdash; slightly beyond teammate Luka Doncic (26.9 feet). So these five players are regularly launching from over three feet behind the arc!
In total, 41 qualifying players registered an average three-point shot distance of 26 feet or greater. Just eight of them had a three-point percentage over 40%, and it's an extremely interesting list:
1. Seth Curry &mdash; 45.0%
2. Stephen Curry &mdash; 42.1%
3. Payton Pritchard &mdash; 41.1%
4. Tyrese Haliburton &mdash; 40.9%
5. Jamal Murray &mdash; 40.8%
6. Danilo Gallinari &mdash; 40.6%
7. Kyrie Irving &mdash; 40.2%
8. Malik Monk &mdash; 40.1%&nbsp;
I'll be monitoring the shooting progression of Pritchard and Haliburton as they enter Year 2.
On the polar opposite end of the spectrum, some interior bigs scarcely left the paint last season. Mitchell Robinson and DeAndre Jordan both had an average shot distance of less than two feet. Over 94% of their shots were either layups or dunks. You won't see them leave the restricted area anytime soon. The top-five in shortest average shot distance last season were:
1. Mitchell Robinson &mdash; 1.3 feet
2. DeAndre Jordan &mdash;&nbsp; 1.7 feet
3. Moses Brown &mdash;&nbsp; 2.1 feet
4. Clint Capela &mdash; 2.4 feet
5. Jarred Vanderbilt &mdash; 2.6 feet
Traditional centers occupy most of the top spots, but a couple of other names stand out. Zion Willamson's average shot distance was only 3.4 feet from the hoop. Ben Simmons' number is a mere 4.3.&nbsp;
At the end of the day, most of the league's best scorers have a three-level game, and it reflects in their average shot distances hovering between 12 and 16 feet. In fact, 43 players averaged 20 or more points per game last season, but only four did so with an average distance under 10 feet.
Two of the names &mdash; Williamson and Giannis Antetokounmpo (9.5 feet) &mdash; seem obvious. The other two are Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler (9.3 feet) and Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis (8.8 feet). In today's league, it's becoming rare for a player to assert themselves as a dominant scorer with a one-dimensional approach to their range.
Shot distance alone isn't much of a predictor. Like I said, it takes some filters and qualifiers to really get into the specifics of player tendencies. But it does provide context for how players approach scoring, and how they use range to varying degrees of success.

Ethan Fuller looks at the average shot distance for different players around the NBA.

Stats Notebook: The longest and shortest-range NBA shooters

Nekias Duncan previews the Pacific Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Pacific Divison

The 2021 NBA offseason featured plenty of surprises and quite a bit of player movement. While there has been plenty of discussion about the stars who changed teams, there were also many talented players who ended up signing for the veteran&rsquo;s minimum.
These are the kind of low-risk, high-reward moves that could end up being some of the biggest steals of the offseason. Some of these players will inevitably outperform their contract and become a huge bargain for their respective teams.&nbsp;
For example, when the Los Angeles Lakers won the championship in 2019-20, their roster featured quite a few minimum-contract contributors including Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Markieff Morris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Jared Dudley.&nbsp;
In the NBA, the veteran's minimum varies from player to player depending on their years of experience. For example, a rookie who signs a minimum deal will earn $925,258 this season. A second-year player on the minimum will earn $1,489,065. By the time a player has played 10 or more years in the NBA, their minimum contract is worth $2,641,691.
So while all of the players listed in this piece signed for the veteran minimum, they won&rsquo;t receive the same paychecks. However, their cap hit will be the same. <a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/nba-minimum-salaries-for-2021-22.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luke Adams from Hoops Rumors explains</a>:
&ldquo;Because the NBA doesn&rsquo;t want teams to avoid signing veteran players in favor of cheaper, younger players, the league reimburses clubs who sign veterans with three or more years of experience to one-year, minimum salary contracts. Those deals will only count against the cap &ndash; and against a team&rsquo;s bank balance &ndash; for $1,669,178, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience.&rdquo;
So while Andre Iguodala will earn $2,641,691 this season, he&rsquo;ll only cost the Golden State Warriors $1,669,178, and the NBA will make up the difference.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Across the board, minimum salaries increased by 3% over last year&rsquo;s numbers. Here&rsquo;s a look at some notable players who signed for the minimum:
Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat: After earning $21,000,000 last season with the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets, Oladipo will make $2,389,641 this season with the Miami Heat. A significant quad injury impacted his stock entering free agency, which is why this two-time All-Star is on a minimum deal just three years after making an All-NBA team. Last year, Oladipo averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 threes and 1.3 steals in 29 total games with the Rockets and Pacers. If healthy, Oladipo could end up being a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/victor-oladipo-minimum-deal-may-become-nba-offseason-biggest-steal-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key contributor for Miami</a>.
Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers: Last season, Drummond averaged 14.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 46 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. The 28-year-old was earning $27,957,238 with the Cavs, but then he agreed to a buyout and joined the Lakers. He hoped to win a title alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Co., but Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns. Now, he&rsquo;ll serve as Joel Embiid&rsquo;s backup on the 76ers while earning $2,401,537.
Blake Griffin, Brooklyn Nets: Like Drummond, Griffin was bought out halfway through the 2020-21 season. With $75 million remaining on his contract, Griffin reportedly agreed to leave $13.3 million on the table in order to exit his deal with the Detroit Pistons and hit unrestricted free agency. Shortly after, he joined the Brooklyn Nets in pursuit of a ring. Still, he went from earning $32,670,565 last year to $2,641,691 during the upcoming campaign.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15822822_lg.jpg" alt="" width="524" height="403" />
Otto Porter Jr., Golden State Warriors: Porter received larger offers during free agency, but he decided to join the Warriors on a $2,389,641 salary (after earning $28,489,239 last season with the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic). He should fit perfectly alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and then he&rsquo;ll hit free agency again next offseason. Last year, the 28-year-old averaged 9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 threes in 28 games.
Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors: After spending five years with the Warriors (from 2013-14 to 2018-19), Iguodala joined the Miami Heat for a two-year stint. Now, he&rsquo;s returning to Golden State on a one-year deal. Last season, he averaged 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game, while also serving as a strong veteran leader in the locker room. After earning $15,000,000 last season, he&rsquo;ll make $2,641,691 in 2021-22.
DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Lakers: Last season, Jordan earned $10,375,678 from the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game. Recently, the Nets traded Jordan and four second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor. Shortly after, the Pistons bought out Jordan, and he signed a one-year, $2,641,691 deal.
Other Notable Minimum-Contract Players:&nbsp;
Carmelo Anthony, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Enes Kanter, Boston Celtics ($2,641,691)
Paul Millsap, Brooklyn Nets ($2,641,691)
Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Cody Zeller, Portland Trail Blazers ($2,389,641)
Malik Monk, Los Angeles Lakers ($1,789,256)
Nemanja Bjelica, Golden State Warriors ($2,089,448)
Rajon Rondo, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)
Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers ($2,641,691)

Alex Kennedy highlights key players who signed for the veteran's minimum this offseason after being on lucrative deals previously.

Examining minimum-contract bargains from 2021 NBA offseason

Before the 2021 NBA Draft and the start of free agency, we assessed the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/facing-a-somewhat-challenging-offseason-the-los-angeles-lakers-have-decisions-to-make" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key personnel decisions that the Los Angeles Lakers would have to make this offseason</a>.&nbsp;Here is a section from that article:
&ldquo;While the Lakers can never be counted out as candidates to trade for a superstar, the likelihood is that L.A. will not be able to swing a deal for someone like Damian Lillard this offseason. The Lakers do not have a core of young players to throw in a trade or a stash of draft picks to barter with.
"With little cap flexibility, the simplest path toward filling out the roster this offseason is through re-signing the free agents from last season&rsquo;s squad. While that will not make for the most exciting offseason in Lakers&rsquo; history, it would ensure the Lakers have a baseline of talent to put around LeBron James and Anthony Davis."
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka took a bolder approach this offseason, opting to trade several players in exchange for guard Russell Westbrook, moving on from several players from last season&rsquo;s roster, re-signing Talen Horton-Tucker and filling out the depth chart with a mix of experienced veterans and younger players with upside. With the recent Marc Gasol trade, the only returning players from last year&rsquo;s roster are LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Horton-Tucker.&nbsp;
The current roster now includes James, Davis, Westbrook, Horton-Tucker, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, Kent Bazemore, Carmelo Anthony, DeAndre Jordan, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington, as well as Joel Ayayi and Austin Reaves (on two-way contracts).&nbsp;
The Lakers now feature a star-studded roster, but the main concern will be the overall age of the team. L.A. now has nine players over the age of 32 and four of the top-five active leaders in overall career games played (James, Howard, Ariza and Anthony). The main questions with this roster are:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Will the age/injuries limit L.A. in the postseason?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">How will Westbrook share playmaking duties with LeBron?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Will the Lakers drop off from last season's league-leading defense?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Do the Lakers have enough three-point shooting?</li>
</ol>
Last season, James missed 27 games and Davis missed 26 due to injury, and both were limited in the postseason. If both superstars are once again battling injuries in the postseason, the Lakers will suffer a similar fate as last season. However, assuming James and Davis are relatively healthy, the question is: how will the remainder of the Lakers' roster hold up? Is there enough depth to get through the grueling 82-game regular season without suffering too many setbacks?
With some luck and strategic maintenance throughout the regular season, the answer should be yes. While the roster is quite old collectively, their key rotation players did not miss too much time <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last season</a> due to injuries.
<ul>
<li>Trevor Ariza &ndash; 1</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Dwight Howard &ndash; 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Russell Westbrook &ndash; 2</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Talen Horton-Tucker &ndash; 2</li>
<li>Kent Bazemore &ndash; 3</li>
<li>Carmelo Anthony &ndash; 3</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kendrick Nunn &ndash; 6</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Wayne Ellington &ndash; 15</li>
<li>Malik Monk &ndash; 17</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Rajon Rondo &ndash; 26</li>
</ul>
Out of these key rotation players, only three had more than 10 injury-related missed games last season. Of course, some players did not play heavy minutes at different times throughout the season, but based on this data, it&rsquo;s reasonable to believe that the Lakers can get through the upcoming season without losing a disproportionate number of players. Injuries are unavoidable and COVID-19 will likely play a factor in terms of players missing games, but with some strategic load management throughout the season, it appears the Lakers have the depth and personnel to persevere.&nbsp;
In terms of sharing playmaking duties, it&rsquo;s unclear how James and Westbrook are going to mesh. Westbrook is saying the right things so far:&nbsp;
&ldquo;My job is to make sure that I&rsquo;m able to make his game easy for him. I&rsquo;ll find ways to do that throughout the game,&rdquo; Westbrook said at his first press conference as a Laker. &ldquo;As it pertains to ball-handling and all that, it really doesn&rsquo;t matter. There&rsquo;s many different ways you can impact the game without having the ball in your hands. And I&rsquo;ve been able to do that for many years and I will figure it out.&rdquo;
Westbrook has played with dynamic scorers and ball-handlers in the past, including Kevin Durant, James Harden (twice) and Bradley Beal. Westbrook&rsquo;s heavy usage rate, aggressive style of play and inefficiency as a three-point shooter have caused chemistry issues with past teammates, but LeBron is now 36 years old and coming off a rare injury-plagued season.
Perhaps LeBron will look to take a step back from his usual playmaking duties in the regular season and allow Westbrook to take on that volume in his place. Or, perhaps Westbrook will defer to James and Davis, being more selective with his opportunities and acting at the team&rsquo;s primary playmaker. Considering LeBron&rsquo;s age and the injuries he suffered last season as well as Westbrook&rsquo;s desire to win his first championship, there is plenty of reason to believe these two players will find a workable balance in terms of running the Lakers&rsquo; offense.
Perhaps the biggest question people have not focused on enough is the possible drop-off on the defensive end. The Lakers had the best defense in the league last season, but that was with a younger roster that featured several two-way wing defenders. Missing from last season&rsquo;s squad are Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Wesley Matthews, Markieff Morris and Marc Gasol.&nbsp;
While none of these players are individually elite defenders at their respective positions, they meshed well enough to cover each other&rsquo;s shortcomings and create a solid, consistent defense. Caruso was a particularly effective wing defender, and Gasol was still an effective anchor when he got minutes. The Lakers added some players who can certainly step in and try to fill the void left behind, but players like Ariza, Rondo, Ellington, Jordan and Carmelo are well past their athletic primes. Younger players like Monk, Nunn, Horton-Tucker and even Bazemore have the mobility to stay in front of wings and should each be in the rotation to a certain extent.
Westbrook also has the athletic ability to be a tough defender, but his focus and effort on that end of the court have been inconsistent for several seasons. The Lakers are going to need Davis to be a defensive anchor in the middle. Last season, AD averaged career-lows in blocks per game (1.6, down from 2.3 the year before), block percentage (4.5%), total rebound percentage (13.8%), defensive win shares (2.4) and value over replacement player (1.9). In addition to getting more out of Davis, L.A. hopes that Howard can provide the same defensive impact as he did during his last stint with the team in 2019-20.
Head coach Frank Vogel has the difficult task of implementing a defensive system with a rebuilt roster that features several players in the twilight of their respective careers. Expect at least a slight drop-off from last season&rsquo;s top-ranked defense.
Three-point shooting was an area of concern entering the offseason, but the Lakers added a couple of players who should provide spacing for Westbrook, James and Davis to operate. Ellington shot a scorching 42.2% from distance last season on six attempts per game. Anthony shot 40.9% on 4.7 attempts, a nice bump in efficiency over the last six seasons, and his shooting could be a big catalyst for the Lakers&rsquo; offense. Monk is coming off his best season from beyond the arc, as he shot 40.1% from distance on five attempts per game. Nunn also had a particularly good season shooting the ball, hitting 38.1% of his 5.7 attempts per game. Bazemore and Ariza showed efficiency from distance last season, though Horton-Tucker continues to struggle from beyond the arc.
In short, the Lakers added enough shooters to this roster to ensure that spacing shouldn't be a major issue unless several players regress this upcoming season, or if defenses force Westbrook into taking a heavy dose of three-point attempts each night.&nbsp;
The Lakers entered the offseason with seemingly little flexibility to reshape and improve their roster. Despite the odds, Pelinka managed to add another star player and round out the roster with proven veterans who can still contribute at a high level. Injuries and age are a concern, but that is true for several teams in contention. The Lakers enter this season with plenty of star talent, a ton of experience and championship-or-bust expectations as they look to add banner No. 18 to the rafters of Staples Center.

Jesse Blancarte answers some key questions surrounding the Lakers' 2021-22 roster.

Answering the big questions surrounding the Lakers' 2021-22 roster

NBA teams can typically anticipate where most of their production will come from and, barring injury, most are usually correct. But sometimes, players surprise us, taking a leap that suddenly changes their career trajectory. Sometimes, it&rsquo;s a relatively unknown veteran who establishes himself as a dependable role player. Other times, role players or young prospects grow into stars.
No matter the cause, breakout seasons are fun. They keep us on our toes and lead us to question how we assess talent. As is the case every season, there will inevitably be breakout players in 2021-22 &ndash; but who? Let&rsquo;s look around the Association to identify&nbsp; the five most likely candidates to have breakout seasons, ranked in order of likelihood.
ODDS: VERY LIKELY
OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors, 24: As was alluded to above, there are different types of breakout campaigns. Some guys make a name for themselves, while others escalate their existing profile. Anunoby is absolutely a case of the latter. He seized the opportunity created when Kawhi Leonard left for Los Angeles in 2019, averaging 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 29.9 minutes per game in 2019-20. Anunoby made another relatively big jump last year, averaging 15.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in his fourth NBA season. He&rsquo;s gone from an average, low-volume three-point shooter to a moderate-volume, above-average shooter, connecting on 39.8% of his deep attempts last season. His ball-handling is also worlds better than it was when he first came in the league, and so is his defense.
Still, there&rsquo;s a case to be made that Anunoby is not done demonstrating growth. Anunoby came on strong toward the end of last season, averaging 18.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 33 minutes per game across his final 20 contests, while scoring 20 or more in six of his final seven. If he continues performing like that, he will be in the All-Star conversation. And there&rsquo;s no reason to think he won&rsquo;t take <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-which-player-is-poised-to-break-out-next-season">the next step in his development</a>. staff&nbsp; Anunoby doesn&rsquo;t turn 25 until July and while he&rsquo;s been given a little more opportunity with each professional season, the departure of Kyle Lowry, the first full season without Normal Powell and the fact that Pascal Siakam will miss the first month or so of the season should result in even more production. So, get ready for your close up, Mr. Anunoby.&nbsp;
Kevin Porter Jr., Houston Rockets, 21: Porter, like Anunoby, already took a relatively big step between his rookie and sophomore seasons. The former USC Trojan averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 assists per game last year, his first with the Rockets. He even put the league on notice with a 50-point outing. But Porter hasn&rsquo;t been nearly efficient enough to warrant mass praise&hellip; yet. Porter shot just 31.1% on three-point attempts, posting a 49.3 effective field goal percentage last season. He&rsquo;ll look to improve on his sub-par defensive numbers too; ESPN&rsquo;s defensive RPM stat ranked him last in the entire NBA.
But Porter is entering his third season &ndash; one that talent evaluators widely agree is a make-or-break season for young pros &ndash; with a lot of momentum. He was always seen as a top-tier talent, league executives just weren&rsquo;t sure if he was mature enough to handle the NBA. The guard, who was once traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers for nothing more than a heavily protected second-round pick, could make a lot of teams regret not selecting or trading for him. And that could happen as soon as this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
ODDS: LESS LIKELY, BUT STILL A GOOD BET
Devonte&rsquo; Graham, New Orleans Pelicans, 26: Graham already had a breakout year, but he can really make a name for himself this season. Graham was in an interesting situation in Charlotte, where he was obviously the odd man out. But even before the arrival of LaMelo Ball, it wasn&rsquo;t an ideal situation for Graham. Sans Ball and Gordon Hayward, the Hornets just weren&rsquo;t talented enough for Graham to prosper and starting alongside Terry Rozier meant one of the two undersized guards would have to guard a shooting guard.&nbsp;
New Orleans offers Graham a far better situation to flourish. Less will be asked of him and he&rsquo;ll play alongside a more balanced lineup with Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who is a true shooting guard), Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas &ndash; and this is the most talented roster he&rsquo;s been on. Graham will be able to take what the defense gives him without having to force production, and he&rsquo;ll be able to play freely without looking over his shoulder, which was probably an issue to some degree last season. While nothing is guaranteed, I believe in the Pelicans roster this season, and believe that Graham will look even in New Orleans.&nbsp;
ODDS: LONG SHOTS
Malik Monk, Los Angeles Lakers, 23: Monk has had a disappointing start to his career since being selected No. 11 overall pick in 2017. He was never an ideal fit in Charlotte, and he didn&rsquo;t really begin carving out a role for himself until last season (his fourth in the league). If you look closely, though, Monk did begin to realize some of his potential last season. Specifically, he averaged 14.6 points in 23.5 minutes per game on 47/42/83 shooting splits between January 27 and March 26, notably torching the Miami Heat for 36 points on February 2 and again for 32 points on March 26.
Monk will play a very different role for the Lakers, playing alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. The Lakers will get Monk far more easy looks and while he&rsquo;ll battle for minutes with Wayne Ellington, Kendrick Nunn and Talen-Horton Tucker, his shot-making ability should be a differentiator. Considering Monk has only received an average of 17.8 minutes per game across four seasons, he already understands how to impact a game in a limited role. He should be able to thrive as an under-the-radar option and get his career back on track.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Obi Toppin, New York Knicks, 23: Toppin is shooting at an entirely different basket than any of the aforementioned players, figuratively speaking. Toppin enters his second NBA season as an older-than-normal sophomore, and his rookie season was certainly less successful than he would have liked. But it wasn&rsquo;t all his fault. Head coach Tom Thibodeau loves veterans and he was slotted behind breakout star Julius Randle. What&rsquo;s more, Toppin couldn&rsquo;t play in Summer League last season because there wasn&rsquo;t a Summer League thanks to the pandemic, and he was slowed down by a calf injury suffered in the very first game of the season.&nbsp;
Last season, Toppin looked lost at times. But this summer, he proved that he is a different player when healthy and confident. Toppin dominated in Summer League, averaging 21.0 points and 8.3 rebounds with 45/34/89 shooting splits. Granted, the competition is less accomplished than what it will be night-in and night-out in the regular season (and the playoffs), but Toppin demonstrated all the skills that led to the Knicks selecting him eighth overall in 2020. He certainly won&rsquo;t enter the All-Star discussion this season, but he is primed to take a profound step forward &ndash; even if it&rsquo;s in a reserve role. And as much as the third season is the one that front offices look to for evidence of growth and star potential, most players build off momentum from their sophomore seasons &ndash; and Toppin should be in a prime position to have a strong second year.&nbsp;
Predicting breakout players is never easy, but Anunoby, Porter Jr., Graham, Monk and Toppin seem like solid bets.

Who seems poised to break out entering the 2021-22 NBA season? Drew Maresca shares 5 players to watch.

5 breakout candidates to watch entering 2021-22 NBA season

Showtime is back.
The Los Angeles Lakers are poised to become a top-notch squad in 2021-22 behind their star trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Hollywood&rsquo;s Big Three is going to make some massive waves, and their on-court chemistry will be the main storyline to follow with the Lakers.
Although LeBron is entering his age-37 season, he&rsquo;s showing no signs of slowing down. Averaging 25.0 points, 7.8 assists and 7.7 rebounds last season, James should have an even more efficient campaign with Westbrook taking some of the creation burden off his shoulders. If everything clicks into place, with Westbrook and James completely buying in as running mates, there&rsquo;s real sleeper upside for The King to be in the MVP discussion. The Lakers are prime candidates for a massive bounce back to the top of the Western Conference standings, and James will be a key figure in that equation.
Basketball News&rsquo; own <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-russell-westbrooks-fit-with-the-los-angeles-lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan dissected Westbrook&rsquo;s looming fit</a> in the purple and gold earlier this offseason, and he showcases exactly why the potential is so high for Brodie to thrive. Playing alongside James and Davis, Westbrook will slide into a role where he doesn&rsquo;t have to do everything on the court to make winning happen. The triple-doubles will still fly in at warp speed, but he doesn&rsquo;t need to do so at an inefficient clip.
Westbrook will be able to slide on and off-ball, where he should produce as a cutter and one-on-one scorer near the basket. Westbrook&rsquo;s bounce is nowhere close to dropping off, so he&rsquo;s positioned to really up his own value with complete buy-in to the fit alongside James and Davis.
Imagine the possibilities for the Lakers with Westbrook bringing the ball up the court while LeBron and AD are running at full speed in transition. It&rsquo;s an unstoppable proposition, one that will surely vault the Lakers&rsquo; overall tempo. Last season with the Washington Wizards, Westbrook helped boost them to No. 2 in transition frequency at 18.2%. Meanwhile, the Lakers checked in right in the middle of the pack at No. 14 overall with 15.4% of their possessions involving transition opportunities.
Although the frequency difference was notable, Washington and Los Angeles both scored 1.14 points per transition possession. Westbrook loves to put his foot on the gas pedal, and it should lead to the Lakers utilizing this weapon more than ever before.
Davis is still the 1B to LeBron&rsquo;s 1A, but he&rsquo;s the fulcrum to the whole operation. As the Lakers&rsquo; anchor on defense, plus an ever-improving scorer, Davis&rsquo; equity is immense. If Los Angeles deploys more lineups where Davis is at the five-spot, where he&rsquo;s been reluctant to play throughout his career, it opens Pandora&rsquo;s box for their two-way dominance.
It remains to be seen if that happens after bringing aboard Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan, but it&rsquo;s a thought that needs to become reality soon enough for the Lakers. Davis reportedly told James and Westbrook he would embrace playing center more often, and it&rsquo;s a real asset to allow more spacing around the trio&rsquo;s lack of perimeter shooting. Davis&rsquo; speed for a big coupled with his athleticism makes him a modern-day force at the five.
For the Lakers to really take the necessary steps forward and become one of the NBA&rsquo;s elite teams in 2021-22, the Big Three needed to be surrounded by above-average-to-elite three-point shooters. Well, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka certainly made that his top priority following the Westbrook blockbuster move on draft night.
All of the following players shot above 40% from downtown last season, and will now play integral roles in Los Angeles&rsquo; rotation: Wayne Ellington (42.2%), Carmelo Anthony (40.9%), Kent Bazemore (40.8%), Malik Monk (40.1%). All four of these players will see minutes alongside James, Davis and Westbrook to allow them to wreck havoc around the rim.
Los Angeles has the oldest roster in the Association, but one that actually fits very well around one another. Although L.A. appears to be banking on LeBron and AD to be potential Defensive Player of the Year candidates, given the lack of versatility surrounding them on that end of the court, the offense should produce fireworks consistently. Let&rsquo;s take a look at the Lakers&rsquo; 2021-22 roster, one that looks to be well-constructed to make their Big Three&nbsp; flourish:
Starters: Russell Westbrook, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, LeBron James, Anthony Davis
Bench: Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol
Penciling Ellington and Bazemore into the starting lineup is a projection on my end to best help out the floor-spacing potential around LeBron, AD and Brodie. With so much depth at the guard and wing spots, many of these players will see significant run throughout the season next to the stars.
Where exactly does Los Angeles stack up in the West? Honestly, right near the top. They Lakers are in the top tier of a loaded West, alongside the defending conference champion Phoenix Suns and No. 1 seed Utah Jazz.
If everything clicks immediately for Westbrook within the Lakers&rsquo; system, there&rsquo;s a real opportunity for the Lakers to take back the top spot once the playoffs arrive. Maxmizing the window for LeBron in his late 30s is exactly what the Lakers are doing. The addition of Westbrook not only raises their floor, but the ceiling over the next two years is through the roof.
If the best-case scenario happens for Los Angeles, we're potentially talking about back-to-back Finals appearances. That's certainly on the table, especially if Westbrook blossoms in his new role alongside LeBron and AD.
Everything is in place for the Lakers to make another run to a Finals. With LeBron showing no signs of slowing down, Davis still coming into his own entering his true prime years, plus Westbrook hitting the ground running as a complimentary teammate to open up the offense, Los Angeles has all the ingredients in place to have a special 2021-22 campaign. Now, all that needs to be done is to bake it all in the oven for perfect results throughout a rigorous 82-game regular season schedule.

With the addition of Russell Westbrook, a star-studded Big 3 has been formed in Hollywood. Will the Los Angeles Lakers take back the crown in 2021-22?

Lakers ready to revive Showtime era with Hollywood's new Big Three

There have been plenty of fireworks during the 2021 offseason. From blockbuster trades to notable free agents changing teams, the 30 teams around the Association have given us plenty to talk about.
Recently, our staff discussed <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this summer's most underrated moves</a>. Today, we asked our writers:
Which NBA team had the best offseason?
Nekias Duncan: They&rsquo;re another minor move away from rounding out the roster, but I think the Heat were pretty big winners. Being able to snag Kyle Lowry without giving up a pick or their best prospect is a win. Adding frontcourt depth, young (Omer Yurtseven) and old (P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris) was smart. Bringing back Victor Oladipo on the minimum is the kind of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low-risk, moderately-high-reward move</a> that could swing some games in the second half of the season.
Alex Kennedy: After being super aggressive at last year's trade deadline, Nikola Vucevic <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bulls-nikola-vucevic-qa-were-built-to-be-successful-for-years-to-come" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> that the Chicago Bulls "sent a strong message to the rest of the league that they really want to win now." This offseason, they doubled down and were even more active &mdash; adding <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-chicago-bulls-form-a-perfect-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lonzo Ball</a>, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ayo-dosunmu-ready-to-seize-the-moment-as-he-becomes-complete-player-nba-draft-prospects-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ayo Dosunmu</a> to their core of Vucevic, Zach LaVine, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Williams</a>, Coby White and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-freeagency-destinations-for-lauri-markkanen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lauri Markkanen (RFA)</a>. Prior to the Vucevic trade, there was a month-long stretch where LaVine was averaging nearly 33.0 points. While it was incredible to watch LaVine put the team on his back, it was clear that he needed help. Now, just five months later, the roster looks completely different and the supporting cast is significantly better. This is the most talent that LaVine and Vucevic have ever had around them, and Chicago seems like a lock to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17 (and perhaps win a series for the first time since 2014-15). Last year, LaVine <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2020/04/28/nba-zach-lavine-chicago-bulls-michael-jordan-the-last-dance-season-workout-staying-shape-paul-seattle-arturas-karnisovas-marc-eversley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> that he's "extremely hungry" to make his postseason debut and now it's absolutely within reach. (Also, getting Derrick Jones Jr., a lottery protected first-rounder and a future second-rounder back in the Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade is a win.)
Jackson Frank: The Heat acquiring Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker, while retaining Victor Oladipo, give them the nod in my eyes. They went from a first-round out to a team that could make a deep playoff run. Lowry is a fringe All-Star and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-kyle-lowry-brings-to-the-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offers significant offensive versatility</a> that should help reignite a stagnant attack. Tucker, although circumstantial defensively and rather limited offensively, remains a useful rotational big who helps maintain Miami&rsquo;s defensive ethos. Oladipo&rsquo;s offense is highly dependent on his jumper these days, but the defense was quite good last season and he clearly seems to want to be in Miami. Health is a looming question mark, but he can help them when out there.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers entered the offseason with Dennis Schroder hoping to leverage the team&rsquo;s limited cap flexibility into a $100 million contract. The Lakers passed on Schroder, opting to trade for Russell Westbrook, re-sign Talen Horton-Tucker and fill out the roster with solid veterans on minimum deals (including Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore and Wayne Ellington). The Lakers even snagged a few talented, younger players with upside in Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn. L.A. loses some points for reportedly not doing much to re-sign Alex Caruso, but the team added significant depth. Age will be an issue for this roster, but the talent and depth are there for another championship run.
Spencer Davies: This may be an unpopular opinion since all of their additions came via trades, but the Washington Wizards intrigue me as a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. Spearheaded by the acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie &mdash; who should fit like a glove next to Bradley Beal and take some of the playmaking load off the three-time All-Star &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wizards-retooling-led-to-a-competent-roster-surrounding-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the team has retooled well</a>. Something tells me that Kyle Kuzma will be able to breathe a little easier in D.C., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is easily the best sniper with defensive upside that Washington has thrown out there in years. Montrezl Harrell is going to be highly motivated after being dealt away, and perhaps he can develop a rapport with Aaron Holiday as a part of an energetic second unit. Let&rsquo;s not forget that Deni Avdija and Thomas Bryant will return at some point from their injuries too. Throw in a growing Rui Hachimura and Daniel Gafford &mdash; plus a new head coach in Wes Unseld Jr. &mdash; and the Wizards have some real firepower and could make a solid push.
Imman Adan: It&rsquo;s definitely the Nets; they managed to get better despite already being the favorites. However, I&rsquo;m going with the Miami Heat because they got their guy &mdash; Kyle Lowry &mdash; and didn&rsquo;t have to give up very much to get him. They also managed to pick up P.J. Tucker and, if he has anything left in the tank, he can help fill the void Jae Crowder left.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Evan Sidery: Although it remains to be seen how exactly all the new parts fit together, credit to the Chicago Bulls for finally going for it. Lonzo Ball is a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-chicago-bulls-form-a-perfect-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">perfect backcourt complement</a> for Zach LaVine, while DeMar DeRozan provides a legit scoring punch as well. If 2020 No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams takes a leap &mdash; and Summer League is showing that&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a strong possibility</a> &mdash; Chicago looks the part of a top-six team in the Eastern Conference. Ever since Derrick Rose&rsquo;s prime, Chicago has been yearning for a competitive team. In 2021-22, they have an opportunity to make noise.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Ethan Fuller: The Miami Heat reeled in the biggest available free-agent name in Kyle Lowry without giving up a treasure trove of talent. Sure, Precious Achiuwa is a tough loss for an aging team, but Lowry is a clear upgrade over Goran Dragic in the short-term. The Heat also signed two underrated additions in P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris without losing rotation players of consequence. Miami is older, more expensive and potentially injury-prone, but the squad is also more talented and more potent as a defensive unit.
Drew Maresca: Shockingly, the Washington Wizards. Most importantly, they got out from under Russell Westbrook&rsquo;s contract, swapping Westbrook for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell. They also added Spencer Dinwiddie, who better complements Bradley Beal than Westbrook did &mdash; a hugely important aspect of his addition. If Dinwiddie bounces back to his old self, the Wizards will compete for a playoff spot in a newly competitive Eastern Conference &mdash; and that might enough to convince Beal to extend.
Chris Sheridan: It is a close call between the Nets, Heat and Lakers... so close that I am going to make it a three-way- tie. I absolutely love Brooklyn's acquisition of Patty Mills. He is a fourth star, if you ask any Australian. They needed a second perimeter defender aside from Bruce Brown, whom they were lucky to keep, and they needed someone off the bench to replace Jeff Green. Miami got Kyle Lowry, which is HUGE, along with Markieff Morris on a one-year deal, which should incentivize him to play to his full potential. Also, they got P.J. Tucker, which I feel is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the offseason's most underrated move</a>. For the Lakers, acquiring Russell Westbrook may go down in history as the biggest and best move they could have ever made to facilitate another championship run with LeBron James. He is a vast upgrade over Dennis Schroder, who ended up being too greedy for his wallet's own good. The other role players the Lakers added seem to fit nicely, especially Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore and Wayne Ellington for perimeter shooting and Dwight Howard for messing with the minds of opposing centers. They will miss Alex Caruso's defense (and it remains to be seen who can provide that), but they had an impressive offseason.
Jannelle Moore: The Lakers had the best offseason because they knew they didn&rsquo;t have much salary-cap space, but they got creative and still managed to land a star in Russell Westbrook. Many people doubted whether the Lakers could make a splashy move, but they managed to pull off a blockbuster trade with the Wizards. Carmelo Anthony and the role players they brought in were great additions as well.

Which team is the big winner of the 2021 NBA offseason? Our writers share their thoughts.

Roundtable: Which NBA team had the best offseason?

OK, Lakers Nation: Your team is stacked like never before in the LeBron James era.
Anthony Davis will be back healthy. Russell Westbrook is coming aboard. So is Dwight Howard, along with Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, Trevor Ariza and Kent Bazemore.
This team is loaded.
And while they are certain to win the NBA&rsquo;s geriatric award, a championship is no sure thing. But when it comes to dominating the regular season, both in terms of media coverage and watchability, nobody is even a close second.
Bear that in mind for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is that the writers and broadcasters who vote for the NBA&rsquo;s Most Valuable Player award watch a whole lot of basketball on TV. And it is safe to say we will see a heck of a lot more of the Lakers than we will of, say, the Thunder.
The Lakers have three legitimate MVP candidates in Westbrook, Davis and James. But for whatever reason, the major U.S. sportsbooks have listed all three of them with very long odds for MVP. At DraftKings Sportsbook, Davis and Westbrook are listed at +2500, to use the new parlance, and James is +1500.
At FanDuel Sportsbook, Westbrook is an astonishing 85-1. He is 55-1 at PointsBet, and 50-1 at WilliamHill.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
And if you think those odds are going to stay that high in the long-term, we have a bridge in Brooklyn that we will sell you for a very low price.
Here is the thing about the legalized U.S. sports gambling market: The books are not all that great at setting the futures odds accurately. They are very good at most things they do. But on some of these future markets, they are off by a country mile. The sharp gamblers know this, and you should, too.
Westbrook, in case you have forgotten, spent last year with a Washington Wizards team that closed the season with a tremendous finishing kick after having their campaign hugely disrupted by COVID-related postponements. They won 17 of their final 24 games, and Westbrook had triple-doubles in 19 of those contests. He was one assist shy of two more triple-doubles.
The guy gets bashed a lot for a variety of things (including switching teams so often in recent years), but do not let the haters convince you that he is a bad player. He remains a super-stud, and there are worse things you can do with one Benjamin than lay it on Russ at 85-1 for the MVP. If he opens the season with three of four triple-doubles in a row, you are going to see that number shrink considerably (perhaps to single digits).
Of course, Davis is a legit MVP contender as well, and there is a chance that the Lakers spread the wealth around so much that these guys cancel each other out. And while that may indeed be the case, there is still questionable logic in having Luka Doncic (+400), Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant (+700), Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry (+800) and Damian Lillard (+1200) listed with lower odds than any of the Lakers. Also at +1500 along with LeBron is reigning MVP Nikola Jokic (+1800). Trae Young (+1800), Devin Booker (+2000) and James Harden (+2000) are also listed lower than Westbrook and Davis. (All of those odds from DraftKings Sportsbook).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Jokic won the MVP award last season for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was his durability as he appeared in all 72 games while averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists. But the Denver Nuggets finished tied for third in the Western Conference, and it is pretty rare for a player from a third-seeded team to win the award.
Voters typically look at individual stats first and a team&rsquo;s record second. Last season, because of the amount of injuries around the NBA, Jokic sort of won it by default, getting 91 of 101 first-place votes. Embiid, who finished second, got just a single first-place vote (from Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic). Steph Curry, who finished third, got five first-place votes.
Assuming the senescent nature of the Lakers roster does not lead to the same type of injury problems they had last season, they will finish atop the Western Conference. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists them as +195 to win the West, followed by the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers at +500, and the Utah Jazz at +650.
The Brooklyn Nets (+230) and the Lakers (+400) are the two favorites to win the NBA title.
But remember: The Most Valuable Player award only takes into account what happens during the regular season. If Westbrook plays the same way for the Lakers as he did at the end of last season for the Wizards, churning out triple-doubles on a nightly basis, he could win MVP in the same sort of runaway fashion as Jokic did last season. Dennis Schroder and Alex Caruso are gone, and Kendrick Nunn (who&rsquo;s more of a shooter than a playmaker) is now the de facto backup point guard.
There are no sure things in the gambling world. But there are reasonable risks.
Wagering on Westbrook, who has 184 career triple-doubles, is not the worst idea in the history of ideas. Give it some thought, especially because others are not.
BetMGM spokesman John Ewing said that Curry has taken a league-leading 14.8% of tickets to Westbrook&rsquo;s 2.3%. PointsBet&rsquo;s Wyatt Yearout said that Doncic is taking a league-leading 10.71% to Westbrook&rsquo;s 7.14% (the same as Antetokounmpo, Durant and Curry).

Russell Westbrook was dominant for the Wizards at end of last season. Now, after joining the Lakers, he's an interesting MVP bet.

Russell Westbrook's MVP odds range from 25-1 to 85-1

Russell Westbrook is a Los Angeles Laker.
We got draft night magic on Thursday, with the Washington Wizards sending Westbrook and two second-rounders (2024, 2028) to the Lakers for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and the 22nd pick of this year's draft (Isaiah Jackson). Jackson was later traded to the Indiana Pacers for Aaron Holiday and the 31st pick of the draft (Isaiah Todd).
But enough pick minutiae: Westbrook is slated to share the floor with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers entered the offseason looking to revise the roster, and kicked things off with one heck of a splash. Adding that level of star power without giving up a premier asset -- Kuzma is fine, but far from a blue-chipper -- is always a win on the surface.
But basketball teams aren't built on the surface, nor can they really be evaluated on paper.
Westbrook is, and has been for quite a while, a polarizing player in the league. If there's a list of surefire Hall-of-Famers that have been more heavily scrutinized than him -- including by your's truly -- then there's no way it's longer than, like, three people.
The early takes on the Westbrook-to-LA deal have been on opposite ends of the spectrum. It's either #GameOver for the rest of the league, with Westbrook expected to thrash teams as a theoretical third option; or, this is shaping up to be a utter disaster due to spacing and decision-making concerns.
Like most things in life, the truth is somewhere in the middle. There's reason to be excited for Westbrook's addition to this roster; concerns about the fit are also valid. Let's take a look at the specifics of what he brings to -- and takes off -- the table for the Lakers.
WHAT HE BRINGS
The Lakers' formula in the LeBron-Brow era has been simple: we will outsize you, rebound every miss, bludgeon you at the rim, and crowd the paint on the other end. On the surface, Westbrook fits the mantra.
He's a powerful (and explosive) 6-foot-3 at the 1, allowing him to generate advantages practically on a whim. The rim prowess remains, even at this stage of his career. He's averaged north of seven rim attempts per game in six-of-the-past-seven seasons; that number dropped to 5.0 last season, though that comes with the context of him working through a quad injury for a large chunk of the season.
At his best, Westbrook can still get downhill. He can come off a ball screen and kick things into high gear; he can clear a side after forcing a switch and get to the cup. He adds occasional value as a post-up threat against smaller defenders. In transition, Westbrook can push after outlet passes, or grab-and-go himself.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/mbafsj" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
For a Lakers team that struggled in the half-court last season -- they ranked 23rd in efficiency, per Cleaning The Glass -- one way to mitigate those concerns is to play a little faster. Westbrook's ability to generate early offense by his lonesome could be an asset.
He isn't just a threat to score, either. He's one of the league's most prolific playmakers, a skill accentuated by the attention he draws as a driver. There isn't a pass in the book that Westbrook can't make, though he's much more comfortable as an interior passer than a kickout artist. Get him downhill, and he'll feed bigs with an assortment of lobs, wrap-arounds, and traditional dump-offs.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/ww19ph" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Westbrook should slot in nicely as an early offense playmaker. Early drag screens with Davis (or LeBron, for that matter) should be fruitful. There are plenty of transition hit-aheads in Westbrook's film, which should vibe with Davis' ability to run after misses and seal his defender early. If Westbrook could get Rui Hachimura and Daniel Gafford early buckets, LeBron and Davis will absolutely get some freebies.
Westbrook also adds juice as a live-dribble passer. The amount of velocity he places on his dimes unlock windows that aren't available to everyone. Placement can be an issue at times -- he'll go high when he isn't completely under control -- but he should help the Lakers generate more corner threes than they <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/shooting/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Corner%203%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did last season</a> (8.1, 17th). In fact, Westbrook ranked fourth in <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/totals/nba/player?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">corner-three assists</a> (77) this season despite the injury woes and missed games.
But everything starts with the rim pressure with Westbrook. That's the primary appeal, and where the fit alongside LeBron makes sense. While LeBron is a top-three player in the league at worst, we've approached the point where he isn't a blow-by-literally-anyone guy anymore. At the very least, it's not fair to expect that from him on a game-by-game, possession-by-possession basis.
It's why the initial addition of Dennis Schroder was key for the Lakers; he was a guy who could get to the rack and take some of the on-ball burden off of LeBron. Replacing Schroder with Westbrook is a sizeable upgrade, even if there are shooting concerns present (more on that later).
Beyond that, the <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612747&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=2544&amp;OnlyCommonGames=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">non-LeBron minutes</a> were a bit of a mess last season. Injuries played a part in that, but even the good-and-healthy version of Schroder isn't quite offense-onto-his-own good. Westbrook is a lot closer to that status. Combine his singular talent with the shooters the Lakers have added thus far in free agency, and it's easy to see a pathway to Westbrook-led second units having success.
REASONS FOR CONCERN
Even with some workarounds, it's still hard to look past the shooting.&nbsp;
When factoring in volume, Westbrook is one of the worst three-point shooters the NBA has seen at the guard position. In a league that has become so dependent on shot creation -- and specifically, pull-up shooting -- it's fair to question what may happen to Westbrook's effectiveness once playoff time comes around.
The mid-range shooting isn't great, either. He <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/shooting/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DistanceRange=By%20Zone&amp;sort=Mid-Range%20FGA&amp;dir=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led the NBA</a> in attempts (6.1) last season, and only hit those at a 38.1% clip. Westbrook has knocked down 40.7%, 31.8%, 39.8% and 36.3% of his mid-range shots in the four seasons prior to this one, while ranking no lower than sixth in volume.&nbsp;
That, uh, isn't great.
It's one thing to be a poor shooter, with teams ducking under picks and hitting you with soft closeouts on the perimeter. It's another thing entirely for teams to practically ignore you from outside the arc. There are only so many empty-corner looks, dunker-spot relocations, and slot cuts you can muster to make that work.&nbsp;
The Lakers have done their part to add shooting -- Wayne Ellington, Malik Monk, Carmelo Anthony just to name a few -- but none of those guys should be considered good defenders. Striking the shooting/defense balance around Westbrook will be key to the Lakers' postseason success.
(I should add: Monk quietly made strides defensively last season in Charlotte, but you get my overall point.)&nbsp;
Speaking of defense, Westbrook is a mixed bag -- and has been for quite some time. When locked in, he can be a legitimate positive. He possesses the lateral quickness to mirror guards, and the strength to absorb blows from all but the elite power wings in the sport. He can&nbsp;get in a stance, cut off drives, then finish possessions strong with a healthy contest.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/a15zuv" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
He just hasn't been able to consistently put those possessions together. Some of it is injury. Some of it is role -- it's hard to be a lockdown guy with a ton of offensive responsibility. But a lot of it is Westbrook.
Screen navigation is a problem for him. The angles he takes when defending ball screens can be described as adventurous; even when taking solid angles, he often fails to stay connected to the ball-handler.&nbsp;
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/0c829n" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Off the ball, Westbrook can be a demon in the passing lanes. He attacks the ball with the same fervor that he attacks the rim. Errant passes can and will be picked off. And when engaged, he can occasionally provide value as a dig-and-recover guy (his hands are quick and&nbsp;strong, leading to strips) or a rim protector.
But Westbrook often gets caught ball-watching. Being an event creator on defense is nice, but not if it's offset by losing cutters and relocating shooters.
The Lakers are making a couple of bets with Westbrook here. They're hoping that with less of an offensive burden, Westbrook will be able to put more positive plays together at the point of attack. With Schroder and Alex Caruso gone, he will have to fill that void.
On the flip side, the Lakers are trusting their backline. In the event that Westbrook proves not to be up to task, having LeBron and Davis -- two of the best off-ball defenders in the sport -- should be quite the insurance policy.
STRAY THOUGHTS
<ul>
<li>There will be some staggering at play with this sort of Big Three. All need their touches in different areas, so it'll be on Frank Vogel to shape the rotation in a way that maximizes everyone. One thing I would expect, however, is a lot of Westbrook-Davis minutes. Davis will need an on-ball creator to help him, and Westbrook will need that kind of security blanket on the other end.</li>
<li>The Lakers slipped from sixth to ninth in defensive-rebounding rate last season; let's just say Westbrook should help with that.</li>
<li>I'm interested to see what inverted ball screens with LeBron and Westbrook will look like. Do you trap those and give Westbrook some of the 4-on-3s he saw in the second half of his Houston stint? Space the floor right, and you may have a money combo to work with late in games. Add in Davis chilling in the dunker spot and... whew.</li>
<li>While I'm on the Westbrook-as-screener kick, the Lakers' Elbow action with LeBron at the elbow, and Westbrook screening for Davis cutting from the corner should be something they experiment with. If you aren't familiar, it's the play they ran for Davis to get him a go-ahead bucket against the Sixers before Tobias Harris hit the actual game-winner.</li>
</ul>
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/fmdgpa" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
<ul>
<li>Laker fans, LeBron fans, and Westbrook fans under the same roof should make for an entertaining Twitter experience. And by entertaining, I mean absolutely awful.</li>
</ul>

Nekias Duncan digs into Russell Westbrook's fit with the Los Angeles Lakers.