3 things the Lakers need to do to get farther next year

Lakers offseason priorities: 2. Find a replacement for D’Angelo Russell

It is time to move on from D’Angelo Russell. His offensive game is too inefficient for the playoffs. While he is a solid starter in this league, it is hard to play a lot of playoff minutes when his offense isn’t there and he is a huge defensive liability. Russell will command a significant offer in the free agent market and will likely be offered starter-level money.

The Lakers can not afford to keep Russell on a starter-level contract. They should look for a more offensively consistent guard who is good enough on defense to stay on the floor in the playoffs.  This may be a hard task to do with the Lakers’ limited resources.

The better solution to this would be to find a less-talented offensive player who is at least playable on the defense side of the court. If the Lakers want to have a chance to win a title next season, this is something that they must do.