A new trend in the NBA puts Lakers at a crossroads

Trends constantly come and go in the NBA. The “small-ball era” played the traditional big man off the floor in the latter half of the last decade — every team now pines for a rim presence. The effectiveness of the mid-range shot peaked in the Kobe Bryant era before the explosion of the three-pointer — stars now lean on the mid-range while role players shy away from it.

The last two NBA champions point to a potential new trend on the horizon — continuity.

Superteams took the league by storm in the 2010s, climaxed by the greatest team of all time:  Kevin Durant’s Golden State Warriors in 2016. Subsequently, Kawhi Leonard migrated to the Toronto Raptors and instantly won a championship. The Lakers shipped every semblance of cohesion to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis and hung a banner in Staples Center the very next season. Even the Milwaukee Bucks traded the farm for two-way star Jrue Holiday and immediately won the 2021 Larry O’Brien trophy.

The ensuing seasons were different stories. The Warriors rose to the top on the shoulders of Stephen Curry, sticking by their homegrown talent with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green through peaks and valleys. The Denver Nuggets torpedoed through the NBA behind the two-man game of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, who had an improbable yet indestructible chemistry no one foresaw when Murray was drafted in 2016.

Both the Warriors and Nuggets chose to bolster the margins to maximize their stars rather than opting for the top-heavy superteam approach.

The Lakers sit at a crossroads at the dawn of free agency. LeBron James and Anthony Davis take up approximately $94 million of the $136 million salary cap. Austin Reaves’ two-million-dollar cap hit allows the Lakers to go over the cap limit and sign him with bird rights at the conclusion of free agency.

A $16 million team option for Malik Beasley and non-guaranteed contracts for Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba give General Manager Rob Pelinka leeway to free up a maximum contract slot for a big name with a big financial commitment — such as Kyrie Irving, James Harden or Green.

The Lakers have the decision to roll the dice or be prudent in their approach to free agency.

Pelinka took a massive swing for the fences and embarrassingly struck out when the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook in 2021. Irving, who has been heavily linked to the Lakers, is undoubtedly a better player and a more natural fit next to James and Davis. And, for nostalgic purposes, who wouldn’t want to see Irving throwing lobs off the backboard to James like they did in their Cleveland Cavalier days?

But if Lakers fans are already frustrated with Davis’ inconsistencies, they would not take kindly to Irving.

Unlike Davis, whose impact on the game ebbs and flows, Irving has no problems on the court — he’s a freak of nature. The problem is, between injuries and off-court issues, Irving has not played more than 65 games in a season since 2018. Combine Irving’s unreliability with Davis’ inability to stay on the court — the latter hasn’t played more than 65 games in a season with the Lakers — and an aging James, how many games are the Lakers really going to get from that big three?

“LeGM” has preferred to surround himself with superstar teammates to take the burden off him as he’s aged, but it is time for the Lakers to value continuity and cohesiveness. Here’s what they should do.

Bring back Rui Hachimura, a versatile forward who can score the rock as a release valve. Bring back Vanderbilt, a lengthy, hungry defender despite his offensive limitations. Bring back Dennis Schröder for the right price — his point-of-attack defense is invaluable. Even bring back D’Angelo Russell, albeit on a reasonable contract, despite his struggles in the Western Conference Finals — Russell’s shot creation can keep the Lakers afloat through a strenuous regular season.

Fill out the roster on the margins to lower James’ responsibilities and keep Davis healthy. Throw money at a big man like Brook Lopez, a defensive stalwart that can space the floor and lessen the strain on Davis’ body. The Denver Nuggets’ Bruce Brown is another name to keep an eye on, a “three-and-D” wing that can handle the ball and has championship pedigree.

Pelinka doesn’t need to go for the home run from home plate. Play bunt-ball and round the bases one by one — trust what is being built.

The team just made the Western Conference Finals after half a season together. Give it a full offseason to work out its wrinkles before jumping ship off a boat that isn’t sinking.

Teams will value chemistry above superteams for the foreseeable future — unless it’s Durant’s team, apparently. The Lakers must remain resolute and follow this trend of continuity before the league looks at them through the rearview mirror.

Sahil Kurup is a rising senior writing about the Los Angeles Lakers and the endless drama that follows them in his column, “Road to Revival.”