Welcome to 969 Sports

969 Sports

The Lakers guessed that after they were eliminated, James retirement countdown, and then traded for the stars, and 5 players were about to leave.

2:29pm, 7 May 2025Basketball

After fighting for the entire game in G5, the Lakers were finally eliminated. For the Lakers, this year's series is indeed a bit sloppy, and they are eliminated in this way. There is no way to do this, the Lakers do not have the defensive resources to limit Edwards. The Lakers are out now, so we might as well make some guesses and predict what will happen in the offseason. (Since it's a guess, everyone can just have fun. There is no need to take it seriously, it's just a personal prediction)

If you want to say that this year's playoffs are actually the best reflection of the Lakers' abnormal lineup. A playoff team is a small lineup in every game, which is enough to show that there are not many changes. Even in Game 5, Redick simply changed the team directly, allowing the team to completely enter the small lineup mode. When the series reached this point, it was no surprise that the Lakers were eliminated. The Lakers were swept by the gentleman, and the next thing they had to do was to operate during the offseason, etc.

So what are the guesses after the Lakers were eliminated? The first guess is that James' retirement countdown. In this regard, it has actually reached a time point that needs to be considered. For James, although he may still maintain averaging 20+ points per game, this league no longer belongs to him. Of course, the countdown to retirement mentioned here means that the 25-26 season is its last season. James is exhausted this season's playoffs, and the championship window has been closed long ago.

The second guess, trade the stars again. Now the Lakers are slowly changing the old and new, and Doncic will inevitably be pushed to the front. However, if the Lakers want to maintain competitiveness, they need to trade a star. If you want to talk about the Lakers’ biggest shortcoming, it is the inside. This year's playoffs inside are too disadvantaged, and the Lakers' small lineup cannot crack the Timberwolves' double towers. If you want to go far in the West, the inside reserves must be enough because everyone has inside.

The third guess is that 5 people are about to leave the team. In this regard, the possibility of happening is relatively high. The five players mentioned here are Kleber, Hayes, Ryan, Milton, and Morris Big. These five players are already a waste of money in the Lakers. They either cannot play the ball or they can't play any role. For the Lakers, they need to rebuild the lineup to make the entire system more complete, and the team also needs to do this.

In general, for the Lakers, if they want to return to the championship ranks, there is no doubt that this is even if Doncic is in the lineup. The Lakers have started the offseason, and there are many things they have to be busy with. If they don’t do a good job in the offseason, then the new season will be very passive. After all, the competition in the West is very fierce and no one will give it in vain.

Links: