On Jan. 15, the Los Angeles Lakers were the No. 7 seed in the West with a murky future.
Anthony Davis, coming off two of the healthiest and best seasons of his career, was quietly struggling with injuries again. Many were writing the Lakers off as a first- or second-round exit.
Some more pessimistic analysts claimed the Lakers would be lucky to make the postseason at all.
Less than two months later, Los Angeles is the No. 5 seed in the West and a bona fide title contender. This change can be summed up in two words: Luka Dončić.
The Lakers are 12-6 since the Dončić trade. Over the past 20 games, they have the third-best defensive rating of 111.7.
As the playoffs approach, it’s time for LA to consider how it can finalize its roster for a championship push. Let’s take a look.
Convert Jordan Goodwin
Jordan Goodwin’s signing has largely gone under the radar.
He signed a two-way deal shortly after Dončić was traded from Dallas and has become a vital part of the Lakers’ rotation. In 19.5 minutes per game, Goodwin has averaged 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. While it is a small sample size, he has a 62.8% true shooting percentage, the highest of his career, while in LA.
An incredibly underrated part of Goodwin’s game are his hands. In just 12 games with LA, Goodwin has 13 steals. Per Jovan Buha of the Athletic, the Lakers’ offensive rebound percentage improves by 10.8% with Goodwin on the floor.
Goodwin has been a crucial part of the new defensive identity coach JJ Redick has built in Los Angeles. He is exactly what many fans envisioned Cam Reddish could be for the Lakers — a two-way defensive wing who can rebound and carry his weight on offense.
Redick even said it himself after a win against the Clippers.
The Lakers may wait to convert Goodwin until the end of the season for financial and rotational reasons. However, signing him is crucial in developing a solid nine- to ten-man playoff rotation.
Convert Trey Jemison III
“You want this win, you have to come fight us, literally fight us.”
That’s a quote from Trey Jemison on Mar. 1. While his stats may not show it, Jemison has added a level of fight and resilience that this Laker team needs. He is a big part of the new identity of the Lakers’ bench. While LeBron and Luka do the heavy lifting in innumerable ways on the court, Jemison finds little ways to make himself valuable. He does the gritty work that doesn’t show up in the box score.
Alongside Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith, Jemison provides the Lakers bench with that “dog” mentality. Vanderbilt has gone on record multiple times about how valuable Jemison’s mentality is.
Jemison also fills an important roster need for Los Angeles. Since the Mark Williams trade was rescinded, the Lakers have attempted to fill a hole at center in a variety of ways.
One was signing Alex Len. It’s only been a handful of games, but Rob Pelinka did not cook with Len.
After being bought out by the Sacramento Kings, Len had plans to sign with the Indiana Pacers, but ultimately signed with the Lakers.
To put it kindly, Len has been bad. In his Laker debut against the Utah Jazz, the Lakers were outscored by 19 points in the first 14 minutes Len played. He started on Mar. 10 against the Nets, but only played 13 minutes and was a -4.
Trey Jemison has made up for this poor signing with his intensity and physicality.
Cut Alex Len and Cam Reddish
Los Angeles must now cut Alex Len and Cam Reddish to make these roster moves work. Here’s why:
First, both of their roles are now redundant. Goodwin and Jemison are upstaging them. Reddish, specifically, has not played since Jan. 28 in Philadelphia. He was in the midst of a rough stretch during that time.
Second, they also make the most sense to cut. Reddish is making $2.4 million this year and has no option for next year. Len is making just under $750,000 and is also on an expiring contract. The other contracts that the Lakers could cut have much more value to them in the future.
Maxi Kleber is making $11 million both this year and next. He could come back later this year and add himself to the rotation. He could also be a valuable trade piece over the summer and into next season.
Shake Milton is making around $3 million over the next three years. However, none of the money is guaranteed past this season. This makes Milton’s contract an incredibly valuable trade asset. A team could trade for and cut him immediately.
Markieff Morris is a veteran presence in the locker room. Both LeBron and Luka have made it to the finals with him. They both love him. It seems very unlikely that Morris would get cut as a consequence of these signings. However, if the Lakers decide to keep either Len or Reddish, Morris would be the logical next move.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Lakers are rounding into shape as a true title contender. If they make these moves, they can shore up a nine- or ten-man playoff rotation. With a two-way guard like Goodwin and an enforcer like Jemison, there is no doubt the Lakers can go far in the West.
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