The Los Angeles Lakers will look to retool this offseason rather than reload compared to last offseason. This offseason will be pivotal for all those involved and those who choose to be involved. Rumors are swirling about what the Lakers should or can do. It’s all talk right now, but soon enough, L.A. will need to act on it to improve this roster.
The purple and gold will likely seek a trade for a third star or another reliable role player to add alongside Anthony Davis and LeBron James. That is a mystery, but one Eastern Conference executive believes it should be for rival knockdown shooter Michael Porter Jr.
The Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports.
“If they want to get better, that is who they’d go after,” said one Eastern Conference GM. “They need a gunner who is not afraid to shoot and they’d be much better off if he can be a 3-4 like LeBron, if he is not a size mismatch. A knockdown shooter who creates space, that’s the first step to getting them back to contender status again.”
Porter Jr. could solve many of the Lakers’ problems. Although the team is coming off a great season from behind the arc, percentage-wise, they lacked in three-pointers attempted and made. The Lakers made an average of 11.7 threes a game, 24th in the league, and averaged 31.0 attempts per game, last in the league.
Porter Jr. is a career 41 percent three-point shooter and isn’t afraid to chuck it up. While he will fit with the Lakers, and they need someone like him, landing in L.A. is unlikely. It may cost the Lakers a ton, like three of their role players, and the Nuggets trading their former first-round pick to a rival is doubtful.
Shooting is critical in the NBA, especially with how the game is played today. Sharp shooting doesn’t grow on trees, but trading a ton of key pieces for the 25-year-old seems like too much. However, if Porter Jr. becomes available for a reasonable price, L.A. should take a look at him.
