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Los Angeles Lakers: 2015-16 Season Outlook

By Gerald Bourguet

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Los Angeles Lakers
Jun 29, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1), guard Anthony Brown (3) , forward Lanny Nance (7) and are introduced to the media during a press conference at the Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Predictions

Next season, the Los Angeles Lakers will be straddling the line between what they really need — another crappy season resulting in another top lottery pick — and what they want to be — a more improved team that can attract big-name free agents next summer.

The only problem is, it’s tough to see how they accomplish this, since straddling the line between both outcomes will likely result in missing out on both ideal outcomes. The addition of Roy Hibbert, Brandon Bass and Lou Williams will help the Lakers be a better team in 2015-16, especially if Kobe Bryant can stay healthy for what might be his last season.

But those additions won’t improve the team enough to make the Lakers a more attractive free agency destination next summer, which means they’ll more than likely be a bad team that’s not bad enough for a top lottery pick as they chase a 30-win season instead. Remember, the Lakers’ first round draft pick next summer goes to the Philadelphia 76ers if it’s not a top-3 selection.

I’m hoping that Kobe Bryant can stay healthy, despite all other evidence suggesting otherwise. But at the very least, this season should feature a lot of new, young players who could develop into foundational blocks for a franchise that’s experiencing its first rebuild in ages. It’ll be another painful season, but hopefully Kobe, Russell, Clarkson and Randle can provide enough entertainment to distract everyone from the scoreboard.

Next: NBA: Complete Offseason Grades For All 30 Teams

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