Los Angeles Lakers

Key Acquisitions: G Dennis Schroder, C Montrezl Harrell, C Marc Gasol, G/F Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Wesley Matthews, F Markieff Morris, F Alfonzo McKinnie

Key Departures: G Danny Green, G Rajon Rondo, G Avery Bradley, C Dwight Howard, C JaVale McGee

The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2020-21 NBA campaign after just winning the NBA Finals in October and had a lot of plans to make this team better this offseason. GM Rob Pelinka was not going to just resign every one from his championship roster as he wanted to make sure this team could continue to contend for titles at the highest level possible. 

With this philosophy in mind, the Lakers set their sights on Dennis Schroder and acquired him via trade before the NBA Draft. Giving up Danny Green for Schroder not only improves the Lakers from an offensive standpoint, but gives them a reliable, starting caliber point guard who can take a lot of stress off of LeBron James. Schroder will definitely enter the season for the Lakers as their third best offensive weapon on a team that is now stacked with talent. 

When free agency began, the Lakers pulled off one of the biggest moves of the offseason by signing Montrezl Harrell from underneath their rivals who share the same building with them. All Harrell needed to do this offseason was walk across the court to a different locker room in Staples Center to be greeted by a team who is coming off of an NBA championship.

Harrell is the reigning Sixth-Man of the Year in the NBA and will likely bring firepower off the bench again this season for the Lakers as Marc Gasol will likely start. That way, Gasol can provide spacing and focus on defense and passing while Harrell can do what he does best with the Lakers’ bench group.

Gasol decided to sign with the Lakers after contemplating whether or not to go play in his home city of Barcelona, Spain. Los Angeles swooped in at the last minute and was able to convince Gasol to sign with them on a two-year contract, giving them yet another weapon in the frontcourt. 

The Lakers were top-10 in field goal percentage, offensive rebounding, total rebounds, assists and steals last season and should be one of the top-scoring teams in the league last season, as they ranked 11th in the league in points per game last year.

Once again, the Lakers are undoubtedly the favorites to repeat as NBA champions and with all of the firepower this team possesses, it will be hard to stop them if they are fully healthy heading into the playoffs.