The Los Angeles Lakers have been uncharacteristically quiet this summer, with them being the only team in the NBA to not sign a player in free agency. That has led to pessimism among Lakers fans, who have no reason to expect them to be better than the seventh seed they were last season. That might be their ceiling, but they may be much lower with several teams behind them in the standings getting better over the summer.
The Memphis Grizzlies were the second seed in the Western Conference back in 2022-2023 before missing the playoffs last season. They could return to the top of the Western Conference next season, while teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, and Houston Rockets could also challenge for the playoffs.
If even two of those four teams get off to a strong start and the Lakers are merely as good as they were last year, then they might be in serious trouble. The same can be said for the Golden State Warriors, who, despite their best efforts to dramatically improve, only got marginally better.
Next, we will take a look at a potential blockbuster deal that would only happen if the Lakers found themselves outside of playoff contention.