The Los Angeles Lakers, who were eliminated in the first-round series against the Denver Nuggets during the 2023-24 season, last won the NBA championship in the 2020 season. In order to overcome the continuous disappointment, the Lakers changed their head coach and added a few essential players to the team, including LeBron James’ son, Bronny James. At the start of the Summer League, Bronny was unsuccessful, but after losing several games, he found his rhythm and started dominating the games.
However, another star player for the Lakers has emerged as a dominating player in the Summer League. Dalton Knecht, who the Lakers picked as the 17th overall pick, delivered some essential performances for the Lakers at crucial times in the Summer League.
Knecht has improved his stock and caught the eye of a former NBA player. The 10-time All-Star Paul Pierce, during a recent episode of the show “Undisputed,” revealed the only way the Lakers can sign a third big star.
“Dalton Knecht has improved his stock. Now you can throw him in a package with, like, (Austin) Reaves and D-Lo (D’Angelo Russell), where now you can probably net a third star. I don’t know who that star is. I’m happy to see that Knecht is playing this way because if he hadn’t been playing this way, then that’s not even a possibility. So if the Lakers want to contend, they have, you know, some valuable pieces they can put together now in a trade package, which makes more sense to me. Two more years of a good LeBron, you know, he might be now off into the sunset,” Pierce said during the latest episode of Undisputed.
NBA Insider Unveils Lakers’ Bold Confidence For Next Season’s Championship Chase
The Lakers’ roster hasn’t changed much for the upcoming season. Even though they have star players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they need to surround both players with talented teammates to improve their performance next season. Jovan Buha of The Athletic provided insight into the Lakers’ internal belief in winning next year.
“There is an internal sense that with Redick fine-tuning the team’s overall structure, better health for some of their role players (Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent), and the additional continuity of most of this group being together for parts of three seasons, the Lakers aren’t that far away from competing with the West’s best.” Buha wrote in his latest reports.
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Previously, the Lakers attempted to acquire former Golden State Warriors player Klay Thompson. However, Thompson declined the Lakers’ offer and signed with the Dallas Mavericks. Recently, Thompson disclosed the reason for rejecting the Lakers’ offer.
Also Read: VIDEO: JJ Redick Opens Up About Past Remarks on the Los Angeles Lakers Coaching Position
