The Los Angeles Lakers returned to their dominant form last season under first-time head coach J.J Redick.
Despite losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the Lakers reached 50 wins for the first time since the 2019-20 season and pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history, bringing in Luka Dončić.
Now, heading into the offseason, the Lakers can address a massive hole on their roster by acquiring the ideal backup point guard to play behind Dončić in the lineup.
Lakers can address major backup point guard problems
Despite the Lakers' success last season, one major hole on the roster was the lack of reliable backup point guard play. Last season, they had Gabe Vincent and Jordan Goodwin nominally filling the role, with Austin Reaves often moonlighting as a primary ball-handler when LeBron or Dončić were off the court or off the ball.
Both proved serviceable in the role; however, the Lakers can definitely benefit from an upgrade in the position. One who comes to mind is Pistons guard Dennis Schröder.
Schröder will enter this offseason as a free agent and is expected to draw interest from multiple teams. With the Lakers seeking significant improvements across their roster, they have a prime opportunity to fill a void by acquiring Schröder.
Schröder spent the better part of the last few seasons playing on several other teams and found his stride with the Detroit Pistons. He played a key role in helping them make the postseason behind All-Star guard Cade Cunningham.
The veteran guard is no stranger to the purple and gold, having previously played with LeBron James and the Lakers during the 2020-21 season, during which he had a breakout year, averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds on 43 percent shooting. He rejoined the team on a one-year, $2.64 million deal for the 2022-23 season.
He was a big part in their conference finals runs in 2022, despite the Lakers falling to the Denver Nuggets, he helped to provide a spark to their offense.
Despite his stellar performance, the Lakers chose not to bring him back, opting instead to go with Gabe Vincent and D'Angelo Russell, a decision that the Lakers would come to regret. They traded Russell early last season, and Vincent has struggled to see consistent minutes.
His familiarity with the team, along with his unique blend of defense and scoring, would make him the ideal player for the Lakers to acquire.