The Los Angeles Lakers, this year's NBA In-Season Tournament champions, are made to contend for the title.
However, the roster is still under construction based on their regular season outings.
LeBron James and the rest of the Lake Show embarrassingly bowed to the San Antonio Spurs, allowing the latter to end their 18-game losing streak.
Depth remains an issue for the Lakers. It showed in their loss to the Spurs' as star center Anthony Davis went under load management.
Jaxson Hayes started in his place but was inefficient, and LeBron had no one to pass down low.
Wheeling and dealing started on December 15, and teams can now sign eligible free agents.
The Lakers must be first on the line in the free agency if they want to elevate their roster come post-season. Or else that NBA In-Season Tournament title will be a waste.
Top 3 major moves the Lakers can make to beef up their roster:
1. Two-way backup center
As pointed out above, AD's spot must always be kept warm. They need a backup center that is not just a spare tire but performs under any circumstances.
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The Western Conference's king right now is Nikola Jokic, and Davis had his hands full in their encounter in the NBA semifinals.
There's not much free agent center right now. Brooklyn Nets' Nic Claxton is available as a free agent, but the chance of his team letting him go is slim.
However, when it comes to talent, the 24-year-old has a lot to offer for the Lakers. He has good hands and led the league in last season's field goal percentage.
Mason Plumlee is the next best target. He is still with the Los Angeles Clippers, but he starts from the bench as Ivica Zubac is the undisputed starting center now.
2. Point guard - Alex Caruso
No solid Lakers fans will disagree with this. Alex Caruso won his first NBA title with them in 2020.
This move is not a sentimental move if it pushes through. The Lakers need a backup point guard, one that can also defend. They got D'Angelo Russell, but he is a reliability on D.
Caruso can fill his spot as the Western Conference has super scorer guards.
Rumors of a potential Lakers trade for Alex Caruso have been floating around.
"So, Alex Caruso is obviously a Laker favorite, but Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan - those have been two guys the Lakers have been interested in for several seasons now ... I look at maybe one of those three as a target for L.A. come the trade deadline, or maybe sooner," The Athletic's Jovan Buha told Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight.
3. A third star to create a more formidable Big 3.
Austin Reaves is effective in his role as a sixth man. At the start of the season, many analysts declared him as part of the Lakers Big 3. However, that third spot can still improve.
This is where the likes of DeMar DeRozan or Zach Lavine come in. Any of the two Chicago Bulls can be the third star to stand next to James and Davis.
Both guys can score at will, and it will be huge for the Lakers duo whenever they are on the bench or have to be subjected to load management.
How can the Lakers make these trades happen? That remains to be seen. Rob Pelinka, for sure, has something up his sleeve.
Related article: Alex Caruso Injury History - Familiar Problem Forces Guard out in Bulls Win Over Miami
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