The Los Angeles Lakers have too many guards. If it seems like they always have too many guards, it's because they almost always do. According to various reports and league sources, Rob Pelinka tried to address this issue over the summer, but ran into a few roadblocks and now, once again, the roster is undersized and plays at a physicality and athleticism disadvantage almost every night.
JJ Redick finds himself in arguably a worse situation than Darvin Ham from a personnel standpoint and may be forced into many of the same decisions that eventually got Ham fired. The longer this roster remains as currently constructed, the more frustration will be directed at Redick for not getting more from it when in reality, fans should point instead at the common denominator between the two coaches.
Under Pelinka, head coach after head coach has had to juggle guard rotation after guard rotation that, for whatever reason, didn't make sense. First, Frank Vogel had to deal with Russell Westbrook. Then, Ham had to deal with Westbrook and a cavalcade of guards after they finally traded him. Now, Redick is tasked with an imbalanced roster, too.
The consistent issue has been Pelinka's unrelenting focus on the position. Here's a list of all the point or combo guards acquired since Pelinka was hired in 2017, then as general manager, and since, as vice president of basketball operations:
2017: Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Gary Payton II, Isaiah Thomas
2018: Scott Machado, Rajon Rondo,
2019: Avery Bradley, Quin Cook, Troy Daniels, Dion Waiters, Talen Horton-Tucker
2020: Dennis Schröder
2021: D.J. Augustin, Avery Bradley, Darren Collison, Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, Isaiah Thomas, Russell Westbrook, Mac McClung
2022: Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Shaquille Harrison, Scottie Pippen Jr., D'Angelo Russell, Dennis Schröder, Lonnie Walker IV
2023: Spencer Dinwiddie, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Gabe Vincent
2024: Bronny James
Of all the players listed above, only Ball is taller than 6'5″. After the chaos in '21 and '22, ideally, one would be able to say the Lakers landed on a backcourt they fully trust in both the post and regular season, but that just isn't the case. The slowing of personnel movement you see in '23 and '24 is by no means by choice.
Following that run to the Western Conference Finals in which Russell couldn't stay on the court, Pelinka started working on splitting up the Russell/Reaves backcourt. That summer, after the Lakers and Russell agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $36 million (with a player option on the second year), Pelinka spent a few days shopping it around the league in an attempt at finding a sign-and-trade option before the deal was inked officially, according to league sources.
All last season, Russell's name was in trade rumors and speculation and, at one point, he was nearly dealt in a trade for Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks. Those talks stalled once Atlanta began asking for Reaves and now Murray is a member of the New Orleans Pelicans after, ironically, New Orleans sent a package that included the Lakers' unprotected first-round pick in this June's draft.
In the end, Russell remained a Laker because teams did not want to acquire him given the chance that he might opt into the second year of his contract — a concern that proved warranted, as he would eventually do just that.
This summer, once word started getting around that Russell might exercise that player option, the Lakers started fielding offers on Russell's now-expiring contract worth $18.7 million. Once again, Pelinka wasn't able to complete a deal and the Lakers will head into the season with the same slow-footed backcourt they haven't truly believed in for quite some time.
Beyond Reaves and Russell, the Lakers have a bevy of mediocre to substandard guards. Vincent is hoping to bounce back from an injury-riddled season a year ago, Hood-Schifino is a year or two away from being a year or two away and James appears nowhere near ready for NBA minutes.
As much derision as Ham received for his three-guard lineups or his reliance on Cam Reddish, the Lakers are a Rui Hachimura injury from Redick needing to fall right back into those choices.
Fortunately for Redick (and fans), Max Christie has gained the trust of the coaching staff in ways he didn't last year, and Dalton Knecht appears to be well ahead of Reddish in the rotation based on their roles this preseason.
Outside help isn't on the way, either, as sources close to the situation echo Pelinka's sentiment that the Lakers would play 30 or so games before seriously considering any big changes — injuries notwithstanding.
Related NewsArticle continues below
A major factor in that stance is the markets of Russell, Vincent and Hood-Schifino.
Russell is seen league-wide as somewhat valuable because of that expiring contract, but not as valuable as the Lakers would prefer given his age and on-court deficiencies. Vincent has another year left on his contract after this one and is seen as a negative asset at this time, according to league sources. Hood-Schifino, a former first-round pick whose career is stuck in neutral, is held in high regard because of his contract, but Lakers sources say they are reluctant to move him at such a low point in his trajectory.
Reaves is considered untouchable internally unless the trade would land a star. James is off the table internally for fairly obvious reasons.
In terms of the names the Lakers might be after whenever Pelinka does finally address the holes in this roster, league sources continue to point to Kyle Kuzma of Washington, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith of Brooklyn, Walker Kessler of Utah, Bruce Brown of Toronto, and others. One name league sources say to keep an eye on is Zach LaVine, who played well in his return from surgery last year.
Chicago and the Lakers held trade talks last season and briefly over the summer, and sources say those talks will almost assuredly pick up back this year with LaVine looking healthy again.
No matter the fix, whether it's consolidating the guard rotation by landing a bigger-contract player, trading a guard or two for a big or a wing, or one of Christie or Knecht supplants a point guard for minutes alongside Reaves or Russell, the Lakers are going to need to balance out this roster. If Pelinka can't find a solution, Redick may become the target of fans' frustration as his predecessors did because he couldn't make an impossible rotation make sense.
