6 players the Lakers should bring back at all costs next season
By Cal Durrett
It’s safe to say that the 2022-23 season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan for the Los Angeles Lakers. They started the season in embarrassing fashion by dropping eight straight games and bricking three after three.
Fortunately, the team has slowly but surely clawed its way back into the Western Conference playoff mix but still faces an uphill battle. After all, they are still several games below 500 and playing in a very competitive Western Conference. No matter what happens this season, there is sure to be plenty of off-season roster turnover with most of the team’s players on expiring deals.
That begs the obvious question of who the Lakers should bring back. Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are seemingly shoo-ins, but there could be factors that complicate their return. Additionally, limited cap space could force them to make tough roster decisions since Los Angeles has only four players currently under contract for next season.
They can only carve out about $35 million if they renounce every other player, or they could stay over the salary cap, but both strategies come with drawbacks. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the six players the Los Angeles Lakers should try to bring back next season.