Bill Simmons is not optimistic about the future of La Lakers after signing DeAndre Ayton.
The Los Angeles Lakers finally landed the center they were looking for. After he cleared the free agency exemption, Deandre Ayton signed with the Lakers for $16 million.
Ayton became the Lakers’ top priority when he became available. As a result, the Lakers are said to have not negotiated with Dorian Finney Smith.
Finney Smith chose to go to the Rockets, making sure the Lakers lost one of their best two-way wing players ahead of their new season.
The Lakers signed Jake Laravia on their place of work, but that may not be enough to make up for Finney Smith’s loss.
But do the Lakers have enough to host their Championship Challenge next season? According to Bill Simmons, they are far from competitive.
Bill Simmons has discussed the LA Lakers’ free agency moves so far. Rather than praise their signature, Simmons denounced them for what they had done.
He pointed to their lazy approach to re-signing Finney Smith as a sign of impending fate. Plus, Laravia, as their only new signature, means that the Lakers aren’t enough to compete at a high level.
“The Lakers will be the capital ff ***** soap opera. I think Finney Smith thought the Lakers were back.
“And that’s going to be their summer plan. Instead, they’ll lose him. They have to pivot on Lalavia.
“This is a disaster for them. They’re not even close to the top four in the West.”
It’s hard to disagree with Bill Simmons here. The Lakers roster currently being built isn’t enough to compete for the NBA championship.
Aside from Wildcard itself, Ayton, the Lakers have not made any better moves than last year.
The Lakers are trying to rival the Warriors for Al Horford. Given his championship pedigree, landing him would be a huge boost given that he is another option for center.
However, the Lakers lack a significant position. They don’t have two-way wing players. This year’s OKC Thunder’s championship victory showed just how important two-way wings are to teams competing for the championship.
Rob Perinka must try to be creative if he wants to save this offseason and give Luka Donsic and LeBron James the best chance to compete for the NBA championship.