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Los Angeles Lakers: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

July 5, 2016; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac pose with vice president of basketball operation Jim Buss following their introductory press conference at Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
July 5, 2016; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac pose with vice president of basketball operation Jim Buss following their introductory press conference at Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Mar 1, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D Angelo Russell (1) celebrates with Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (left) after making a shot during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Lakers won 107-101. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

Overall

Strangely enough, the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2016 offseason was simultaneously disappointing and encouraging — disappointing because they were never in contention for the summer’s game-changing free agents just months after finishing off the worst season in franchise history, but encouraging because they had no choice but to fully commit to a promising youth movement.

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For years, Lakers fans have made it their mission to let the world know they wouldn’t be down and out for long; that Los Angeles would bring Russell Westbrook home in 2017, that Kevin Durant was coming, that Hassan Whiteside was their next franchise center — you name it.

They were dead wrong on those fronts, but they weren’t wrong about it not being long before this team is a Western contender again. With a young nucleus of Russell, Clarkson, Randle, Nance and now Ingram and Zubac, Los Angeles is on the right track.

It may take more patience than Lakers fans are used to, and there’s no question that the drastic overpays for Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng look bad on paper, but they were necessary to provide the youngsters with a positive example and locker room leaders (especially in Deng’s case).

The Mozzy signing may have been the worst contract handed out of the summer, and curiously enough, it was the first of the offseason. The Lakers also missed out on dishing out some of that money to younger, high-upside players during the summer splurge where not every team could hold onto their own guys.

More hoops habit: Golden State Warriors: 2016 Offseason Grades

But by accepting their path back to relevance, adding Ingram to a nice young core and yes, supplying the team with vets by spending all that money somewhere, the Lakers’ free agency wasn’t as laughable as it seems. Internal development needed to be the biggest priority, and nothing the front office did this season derailed that.

Grade: C

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