The Los Angeles Lakers are a team at the proverbial crossroads entering the 2024-25 campaign. Anthony Davis and LeBron James are coming off of All-NBA seasons, Dalton Knecht is a promising incoming rookie, and Austin Reaves is expected to continue his development into a high-level starter.
Unfortunately, as a team that won 47 games and lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2023-24, Los Angeles has been labeled as a team that's squandering what's left of James' extended prime.
James will turn 40 during the 2024-25 regular season and the Lakers haven't exactly made sweeping changes to accommodate that fact. Instead, Los Angeles has limited its offseason changes to hiring JJ Redick as head coach and drafting Knecht and Bronny James.
It could be a sign that the Lakers don't feel as though there's a chance to contend with Davis and James in 2024-25, but the optimistic take is that there's faith in the returning roster.
Under those optimistic circumstances, the Lakers will need the players around Davis and James to take significant steps forward during the 2024-25 season. It's a fact that places an extraordinary amount of pressure on the supporting cast, but remains true nonetheless.
The question is: Who exactly is under the most pressure to either take a step forward in 2024-25 or potentially hit the trading block by next summer?
Rui Hachimura
This might seem harsh, but Rui Hachimura is entering a make-or-break season with the Lakers. He produced well in 2023-24, but the bizarre manner in which he was utilized in Darvin Ham's rotation hindered the impact of his statistics.
That certainly isn't Hachimura's fault, but it also doesn't change how badly the Lakers need a truly viable option at forward.
Hachimura is owed $17,000,000 for the 2024-25 season and will see $18,259,259 come his way in 2025-26. Both are affordable figures if he lives up to his potential, but anything less than providing that exact level of value could result in Los Angeles pursuing other options.
It's the unfortunate reality of building around 31-year-old Davis and 39-year-old James, as their limited championship window requires the best possible value at every position around them.
The upside here is that Hachimura averaged 17.8 points and 1.9 three-point field goals made when he received at least 30 minutes of playing time in 2023-24. He did so with remarkable efficiency, posting a slash line of .558/.425/.741 in those games.
If that's the type of play that Hachimura delivers in 2023-24, with the ideal added benefit of strong defense, then he'll be safe from potential trades.
If not, his tradable contract could be included in a move to improve the roster.
D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Russell has spent the 2024 offseason at the heart of trade rumors. That certainly implies that the Los Angeles Lakers have already decided to move on from him, but the possibility still exists that he could spend the 2024-25 season in purple and gold.
In the event that the Lakers struggle to find an ideal trade partner or simply decide to give Russell one last chance, he'll need to take a significant step forward this coming season.
Russell has provided tremendous value in regular season games during his second stint with the Lakers. In 2023-24, he averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 3.0 three-point field goals made on .456/.415/.828 shooting.
With a minimum of 60 games played, only four players averaged at least 18.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made in 2023-24: Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, Tyrese Maxey, and Russell.
True as that may be, the postseason was yet another example of Russell falling off the proverbial cliff from a quality-of-play perspective. It was the third time in four appearances that he shot below 40 percent from the field, including an infamous Game 3 performance during which he scored zero points in 24 minutes of play.
If Russell is going to earn a new contract with the Lakers, then he needs to not only maintain the pace in the regular season, but transform himself as a postseason player.
Jarred Vanderbilt
The Los Angeles Lakers were banking on a healthy Jarred Vanderbilt helping Anthony Davis anchor the defense in 2023-24. It's why they signed him to a four-year, $48 million contract after he appeared in just 26 games following his 2023 trade deadline acquisition.
Unfortunately, Vanderbilt was available for just 29 games during the 2023-24 regular season and continued to struggle with injuries during the playoffs.
Vanderbilt made his 2023-24 debut on December 2 and was on the shelf again by February 2. It was a frustrating season for a player who had become the proverbial wing-stopper in Los Angeles during his 55 games of availability between his first season-and-a-half with the team.
Even with injuries hindering him in 2023-24, he made his presence known when available as the Lakers were 5.2 points per 100 possessions better on defense when he was on the court.
In 2024-25, the Lakers need a healthy Vanderbilt to thrive on the defensive end of the floor. He's their best wing defender, as well as a versatile player who can switch onto bigs and at least adequately prevent them from getting easy shots inside.
Throw in the fact that Vanderbilt is a productive offensive rebounder at 3.6 per 36 minutes for his career, and Los Angeles ranked dead last in the category in 2023-24, and his presence was missed.
Gabe Vincent
The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2023 offseason with the intention of making a splash at an affordable price. Los Angeles was clearly watching the 2023 NBA Playoffs, as the decision was made to bring in Miami Heat standout Gabe Vincent on a three-year, $33 million deal.
Unfortunately, Vincent appeared in just 11 games during his first season in Los Angeles and inevitably struggled to develop any kind of a rhythm by the time the postseason rolled around.
It's easy to understand why Los Angeles was interested in Vincent as its marquee free agency acquisition. In 2022-23, he averaged 9.2 points and 2.5 assists in 25.9 minutes per game while providing quality defense to Erik Spoelstra and the Heat.
More importantly, he was one of the breakout stars of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, scoring at least 20 points on five different occasions.
Vincent scored 22 points to help close out the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and tallied 20 in a Game 1 win over the New York Knicks in round two—followed by 21 in Game 2. He posted 29 points in a Game 3 win over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals and averaged 15.8 points per game for the series.
With 19 points in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals and 23 in Game 2, Vincent seemed to have established himself as a big game player on the rise—on both ends of the floor.
The Lakers desperately need the 28-year-old to rediscover that form in 2024-25 or a trade could be a necessary move to improve a thin second unit. It's harsh, but it's the inevitable reality of building around superstars in their extended prime.
