Vegas Buying Lakers New Trio of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis
By Peter Dewey
Injuries derailed the Los Angeles Lakers 2020-21 season, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis both missed significant time during the regular season.
The Lakers’ title defense fell way short because of it, as Los Angeles earned the No. 7 seed and was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns.
That result isn’t going to sit well with Lakers fans, and the front office set out to change almost everything about the roster this offseason by trading for Russell Westbrook, letting Dennis Schroder walk and adding several veterans including Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza and Wayne Ellington.
On top of that, the Lakers kept guard Talen Horton-Tucker and added guards Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk to make up for the loss of Alex Caruso, who signed with the Chicago Bulls.
You get all that?
Essentially, the Lakers overhauled the roster to make another push for an NBA title, and oddsmakers are liking what they’re seeing.
Los Angeles has the second-best odds to win the NBA title on WynnBET (+375), but it also has the best odds to make the playoffs among any of the Western Conference teams. The Utah Jazz (-3000 to make the playoffs) and Suns (-2500 to make the playoffs) were the top two seeds in the West last season, but Los Angeles (-5000 to make the playoffs) seems poised to reclaim the top spot.
Counting out a LeBron-led team would be foolish, as King James has gone to nine of the last 1 NBA Finals, winning four. However, Lakers fans will be at peace knowing that Los Angeles won’t be fighting for its playoff lives in the NBA’s Play-In Tournament again as long as it stays healthy.
Vegas clearly expects the Westbrook-James-Davis trio to work, and while there will almost undoubtedly be growing pains early on in the season, the Lakers already appear to be a lock to earn a spot in the postseason in the 2021-22 campaign.
How do you think the Lakers will fare next season? Get in on the action with the WynnBET app.