The Lakers' risky offseason approach could pay off in a big way

Los Angeles Lakers fans are likely waiting anxiously for their favorite team to make a big move but that may not happen, according to a new report. Instead, Lakers insider Jovan Buha of the Athletic (subscription required) reports that the Lakers are hoping that returning players such as Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Max Christie, as well as recently drafted forward Dalton Knecht, can make a big impact.

Vincent was signed last summer with the hope that he'd help them by proving them a knockdown shooter and giving them a secondary ball handler. However, he played just 11 regular-season games last season and while his salary could be useful in a trade, the Lakers appear willing to bring him back and see if he can be the player they expected him to be when they initially signed him.

Additionally, Vanderbilt missed significant time last season but is one of the Lakers' most versatile defensive players. Christie has yet to earn significant playing time but was recently signed to a four-year deal, suggesting that he'll have a bigger role and projects to be a three-and-d wing.

Add in Knect, who was one of the best scorers in college basketball last season and played very well in the NBA Summer League and the Lakers may have a point about not wanting to dramatically alter their roster.

Is the Los Angeles Lakers' small-market approach a winning strategy?

Relying on internal improvement, drafting, and development is normally a strategy reserved for small market teams that aren't free agency destinations. However, the Lakers appear to be using that strategy in the hope that it will make a difference next season.

The Lakers, despite having LeBron James and Anthony Davis, were 15th in offensive rating last season, thanks to their lack of volume shooting. Knect and Vincent should definitely help, while Christie and Vanderbilt are also capable of knocking down threes. More shooting around their best players should dramatically improve their offensive rating.

Still, keeping largely the same roster could be seen as a risky strategy in the competitive West and after they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. Despite that, they won 47 games and while they finished as a seventh-seed in the Western Conference, a slightly better record could lead to a more favorable playoff match up and potentially another trip to the Western Conference Finals.

Thus, relying on Vincent, Vanderbilt, Christie, and Knect could theoretically pay off for the Lakers, with them giving them more depth and youth. It also wouldn't foreclose on the possibility of the Lakers making a deal involving Rui Hachimura or D'Angelo Russell. Nevertheless, the Lakers may hold off on making a major move until they see how their new and returning players perform.