Los Angeles Lakers: 3 takeaways from 2019 NBA Finals that impact L.A.
By Amaar Burton
The Toronto Raptors’ NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors sent aftershocks across the league, and the Los Angeles Lakers felt some of them.
The Los Angeles Lakers were not anywhere close to the 2019 NBA Finals, and yet the team felt like ever-present co-stars to the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors with as much as they were in national media headlines and social media mentions throughout the series.
When the focus wasn’t on Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard‘s individual brilliance, or Kevin Durant‘s leg injuries, it was on the Lakers — whether it was the their ongoing front office drama, trade rumors involving Anthony Davis, free agency rumors involving Kyrie Irving, or any and everything involving LeBron James.
The events and the outcome of the Finals did more than just bring Toronto its first NBA championship and throw the future of Golden State’s dynasty in doubt. The series created story lines that will impact other teams around the league — perhaps none more so than the Lakers.
The Lakers, thus far, are sticking to their no-Kuzma trade posture ... but let’s see if they maintain it with the draft only a week away now. L.A. knows it likely needs to land Anthony Davis before June 30 to become a factor in chasing a prime free agent to join a LeBron/AD duo
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 13, 2019
From offseason motivation to next season’s roster to future title hopes, the Lakers had a lot to gain and a lot to lose from the Raptors-Warriors series.
Here are three L.A.-related takeaways from the 2019 NBA Finals.