3 players that the Los Angeles Lakers shouldn't have let go last summer
The summer of 2018 was one of major change for the Los Angeles Lakers. The arrival of LeBron James ushered in a new era that the organization hoped would reverse their recent struggles, and the Lakers decided to add a new supporting cast alongside their new superstar.
In the weeks following James' acquisition, Magic Johnson and the Lakers added JaVale McGee, Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, and Michael Beasley, all on one-year deals, although to make room, the Lakers made the decision to release a number of notable names.
As we approach the conclusion of the first year of the LeBron James era, the Lakers have made little progress, and in retrospect, some of the departures look like serious errors of judgment on the Lakers' behalf. So, with Luke Walton's team's playoff hopes in tatters, here are three players that the franchise now regret letting go.
#3 Brook Lopez
Back in the summer of 2017, Brook Lopez was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Lakers (alongside Kyle Kuzma) in exchange for D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov. Lopez, begun the season well, scoring 20 points on his debut, and the 30-year-old was a regular starter for the team all season long, starting 72 times.
Nevertheless, upon the expiration of Lopez's contract, the Lakers chose to bring in JaVale McGee. Lopez himself stated that he was keen to continue with the Lakers, however, he never received a new contract offer, and instead headed to the Milwaukee Bucks.
So far this season, Lopez has been a regular starter, averaging 12.2 points and 4.4 rebounds, while also shooting an impressive 37% from beyond the arc. Few NBA fans would argue that McGee is a better player than Lopez, and ultimately, the Lakers are left to wonder how much better the team would have been this season had they kept Lopez over McGee.