Lakers Should Optimize New Team Rather Than Pursuing Nikola Jokic!
The Lakers should resist the temptation to pursue superstar center Nikola Jokic despite rumors he could exercise his summer 2027 player option instead of signing an extension if the Nuggets started the season slowly.
While a blockbuster trade of the Lakers’ Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, and draft capital for the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and Cameron Johnson could be a big win for Denver, it would be a big mistake for LA.
The Lakers made three difference-making moves this summer re-signing combo guard Austin Reaves, sign-and-trading for center Walker Kessler, and surrounding Luka and their Big Three with a deep and diverse roster.
The last thing the Lakers should do right now is to consider changing course and trading Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler for Nikola Jokic. They don’t need a 31-year old superstar seeking a record supermax extension.
Today’s NBA is being dominated by young, long, fast, high-motor teams, like the Timberwolves who eliminated the Joker and Nuggets 4–2 in last year’s playoff first round, limiting Jokic to 7 of 36 from deep for 19.4%.
What the Lakers need is a pair of legitimate high-end starting forwards to transform their staring lineup into a juggernaut and extend their current deep 10-man rotation into a true championship caliber 12-man rotation.
The Lakers should prioritize keeping and developing their picks into elite rotation players and trading chips worth multiple picks. The Lakers should only trade their own picks for young promising players on rookie deals.
It’s almost impossible to build a true title contender with multiple max or supermax contracts. The Lakers should continue on their current path. They’re just two starting forwards away from being a championship team.
Why Pursuing Jokic Would Be Mistake!
The Lakers are close to pulling off one of the greatest offseason extreme roster makeovers in NBA history and need to resist changing course and starting an ill-advised pursuit of Nuggets’ superstar center Nikola Jokic.
While the idea of pairing the two greatest European players in the today’s game is intriguing, the truth is the Lakers with Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler would be a deeper, better team than they would be with Doncic and Jokic.
The problem with a Lakers’ starting lineup featuring Doncic and Jokic is who’s going to play defense? While Jokic is the league’s best offensive center, he is not the elite defensive center that Walker Kessler would be.
Statistically, the Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler trio combined averaged 71.2 ppg, 23.2 rpg, 16.8 apg, 4.1 spg, and 2.7 bpg whill the Doncic and Jokic duo combined averaged 61.2 ppg, 20.6 rpg, 19.0 apg, 2.4 spg, and 1.3 bpg.
The numbers show that the Doncic and Jokic duo would improve the Lakers’ offensively by increasing points, rebounds, and assists per player but also hurt them defensively by halving steals and blocks per player.
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Losing Walker Kessler would decimate the Lakers’ defensive rim protection and defensive and offensive rebounding. While Jokic is a generational offensive player, he’s not a good fit for what LA needs from their center.
Losing Austin Reaves would also leave the Lakers without the perfect backcourt mate Luka Doncic prefers. Austin Reaves is invaluable as he is both as Luka Doncic’s ideal shooting guard and backup point guard.
While the 31-year old Nikola Jokic is the best offensive center in the NBA, he doesn’t provide the defensive rim protection or offensive rebounding Walker Kessler brings to the table and is not worth Reaves and Kessler.
What Should Be Lakers Next Move?
One of the strategic changes the Lakers need to make going forward is adopting a long range vision for the kind of championship team they want to build and then commit to being laser focused on achieving that vision.
The Lakers need to adopt a clear team identity and commit to consistently grow and develop that identity over the years without being derailed by quick fix opportunities like chasing big name superstars who don’t fit.
The Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka always lacked a coherent vision for the Lakers. Rob’s approach was always transactional, winning the deal rather than building and fine tuning their identity and getting the ‘right’ player.
What’s becoming obvious is that young head coach JJ Redick has become the visionary the Lakers lacked in Jeanie Buss as owner or Rob Pelinka as president of basketball operations. Redick is LA’s coach of the future.
Once the Lakers’ ownership situation gets resolved, Bob Iger will likely take over from Jeanie Buss as the Lakers CEO and NBA governor and Rob Pelinka will probably be replaced by a respected GM like Bob Myers.
While the Lakers are still a pair of legitimate starting forwards away from being a true contender, their younger, faster, longer, and more athletic starters and 10-man rotation have legitamate NBA championship upside.
While it will be a couple of months before the new look Lakers will play, Pelinka’s done a great job upgrading the team’s 3-point shooting, offensive rebounding, perimeter point-of-attack defense, and rim protection.
The Lakers should stay the course and continue to build out and upgrade the great roster Pelinka has already put together for next season and resist the temptation of pursuing a second max contract superstar like Jokic.
Could Lakers Have Assets To Trade For Nikola Jokic By Trade Deadline?
I wrote the above article 2 days ago to show how LA could make a winning offer of 3 elite high-upside young players — Reaves, Kessler, Sexton — worth 7 or 8 first round picks — and draft capital to Denver for Nikcola Jokic and Cam Johnson.
I used the Jokic trade as an example but do not favor the Lakers trading for him. I would prefer to see the Lakers continue to build around their new Big Three.
