Los Angeles Lakers somehow got better after winning championship

The Los Angeles Lakers were facing a mass exodus of talent after winning the NBA championship, but they found a way to drastically improve.

Nearly two months ago, the Los Angeles Lakers accomplished their goal, and that’s winning their 17th NBA championship in franchise history. The power duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis played a huge factor in that happening, but credit can also be given to the short-term deals the team gave out last offseason.

With the Lakers looking to create a new dynasty in the league, they had to find ways to fill the voids left on their roster, while also dumping some money to make way for a lucrative deal for Davis to re-sign. Somehow, someway, general manager Rob Pelinka did just that, and now LA looks even better than it did last year.

Lakers playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers

Being the defending champions gives a team like the Lakers the benefit of negotiating deals with free agents. At the start of free agency, we saw teams like the Detroit Pistons overpay to hold a monopoly on all of the big men on the market. It looked as though the Lakers were about to re-up with Dwight Howard, as his tweet indicated. But shortly afterwards, Howard deleted said social media post, and a bombshell from Shams Charania of The Athletic indicated that Howard had signed a veteran-minimum deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

What were the Lakers to do after losing their sixth man? Why, they signed the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Montrezl Harrell, away from the LA Clippers on a two-year, $19 million deal. In 63 regular-season games this past season, Harrell averaged 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a night while shooting 58 percent from the field. In fact, Harrell reportedly turned down a more lucrative offer from the Charlotte Hornets to sign with the Lakers. Simply put, the Lakers got an immediate upgrade over Howard in Harrell.

The joy for fans of “the Lake Show” had only grown, because Harrell was the second Sixth Man of the Year finalist to join the team. Last week, the Lakers agreed to a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire the runner-up to that very award in Dennis Schroder, in exchange for Danny Green and their first-round selection in the 2020 NBA Draft. Schroder was solid this past season off the bench, averaging 18.9 points per game and shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from the field. That’s a solid guard option for the Lakers, who saw point guards Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley agree to sign elsewhere.

The Lakers also managed to reach an agreement with Wesley Matthews on a one-year, $3.6 million contract to replace Green on the roster. In 67 starts with the Milwaukee Bucks, Matthews showcased that he can shoot well from the field in general (39.6 percent) and from behind the arc (36.4 percent). Solid shooting numbers that come at a much cheaper price? That’s another win.

Finally, LA agreed to bring back two-way wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a three-year, $40 million deal. This move keeps an effective perimeter defender and 3-point shooter on the roster, which was crucial after the way he played in the postseason and Danny Green’s departure.

It’s hard to view the Lakers as anything but the winners of the NBA offseason thus far. In addition to these signings, they are expected to reach an agreement with Davis on a new contract, which will come at a later time. Once that’s finalized, the Lakers may once again be the favorites to win the championship in 2021.