Team record analysis of Lakers reinforcement plan: middle-class sign Capela and package limited chips for small and medium-sized transactions

On May 16, Lakers reporter Buha wrote an article to analyze the Lakers' trading dilemma and proposed a reinforcement plan that he believes is realistic. How should the Lakers, with limited chips, improve their combat effectiveness so as to get closer to the championship trophy?

For the Lakers, trading Doncic has always been a "future-oriented" choice - this is a power transfer from the James era to the new era.

The Lakers started the first round of the Timberwolves with an absolutely favourite attitude - especially when their playoff half avoided the 68-win Thunder, the prospect of advancing seemed bright. However, within 12 days, everything was wiped out: the Lakers were eliminated by the Timberwolves in five games, with a net loss of 11 points per game. This shattering defeat clearly reveals the fact that the team's structure did not maximize Doncic's talent. This also confirms why few heavy trades in the season lead directly to the championship, and why it is difficult for the rookie coach to go further in the first playoffs.

"This kind of adjustment takes time, especially when it comes to star players," Lakers coach Redick said at the season summary meeting two weeks ago. "Looking back on the NBA history of nearly 30 to 40 years, there are very few cases of trading All-Star players and winning the championship directly... Repeated running-in is crucial, but frankly speaking, we didn't have time to fully run-in, which is the limitation of the season's trading."

The Lakers' strong part in the second half covered up the fatal flaws: they do not have a real starting center, and they can't even find a second reliable inside except Hayes; the appearance of a strong defensive team disguised by strategy since January actually exposes the problem that outside defenders have difficulty limiting the ball-holding breakthrough; when facing most teams, athletic ability is at a disadvantage, which is specifically reflected in all aspects such as rebound fluctuations, unstable ball control, and weak substitute offense.

Lakers' basketball operations president and general manager Pelinka admitted these shortcomings to varying degrees in his summary speech, and made it clear that he would build a team around Doncic this summer, focusing on strengthening the center position - the last time they tried to upgrade the inside, they had to withdraw their trade with the Hornets about Mark Williams because they missed the trade deadline.

"We don't have time to adjust after trading Doncic," Pelinka said. "But now we have a chance. The charm of the NBA is that there are always unexpected opportunities. My job is to seize them and make sure we have a good size configuration for the championship next season."

The Lakers need to supplement Doncic's body shape, defense, shooting and athleticism - easy to say, but difficult to do. Especially when James is basically unable to accept salary cuts, their operating space is extremely limited: there is only a middle-class special case of $5.7 million, and a small amount of trading assets (one first round pick, several expiration contracts and Kneckett).

It is worth noting that Doncic will be eligible for renewal on August 2 - at this time the free market has been open for more than a month, and he will see more clearly the sincerity of the Lakers' lineup. If the Lakers fail to show competitiveness this summer, the contract renewal negotiations may be deadlocked.

In the Lakers country, patience is a scarce product - every season is "failure if you don't win the championship." But unless a desperate trade is made with Reeves and/or Hachimura as the core, the lineup framework next season is likely to be similar to this season. The practical and feasible solutions for management include: using a middle-class special case to complete a key signing (such as signing Capela), and combining an expiring contract (Vincent and Kleber are most likely to be traded), Kneckett and the first round of 2031/2032 pick (choose one of two).

However, it is almost impossible to solve multiple problems such as inside, defense, and athleticism at the same time - this is the price that bets on a team-building core that is about to reach the peak: 26-year-old Doncic is eager to win the first championship, James has not had much time at the peak, Reeves' child labor contract has only one year left, and although Redick showed his tactical talent in the regular season, he exposed his experience shortcomings in the playoffs.

But from another perspective, many teams will envy the Lakers' "happiness and worries": in the next 5-7 years, few players (perhaps only 1-2 players) have brighter prospects than Doncic; Redick's regular season coaching ability has been verified, and the setbacks in the playoffs have accumulated valuable experience. The dual reality of the Lakers is that they are far from meeting the expected competitiveness and must optimize the lineup around Doncic; but thanks to their solid core framework and troubled situation, next season will still be their window of opportunity.