3 biggest Lakers offseason regrets that have come back to haunt them
The Los Angeles Lakers made some regrettable decisions this past offseason that have returned to haunt them.
By Lior Lampert
Like last season, the Los Angeles Lakers are getting hot at the right time. Winners of seven of their past 10 games, the Lakers have reminded everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference, regardless of where they sit in the standings.
Sitting at 34-29 and ninth place in the West, Los Angeles still has a ways to go before securing their bid to the NBA Playoffs, but they are taking notable strides in the right direction. However, we can’t help but wonder what position the team would be in if they did things differently this past offseason.
The Lakers would’ve been better off taking a different offseason approach, with these three decisions at the forefront of moves that have come back to haunt them.
3. Drafting Jalen Hood-Schifino
This is not a knock on rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who the Lakers selected with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, more so a criticism of their decision to make the pick rather than trade it.
With LeBron James heading into his age-39 campaign this season, adding a 20-year-old who was considered a raw developmental prospect and in hindsight, has failed to crack the rotation benefits no one.
The Lakers are in championship-or-bust mode until James decides to retire or leave Los Angeles (whichever comes first). They cannot have one foot out of the door in their pursuit of a title while they have an all-time great player still performing at an All-NBA level in his 21st season — it’s all or nothing.
However, Los Angeles ultimately decided to stand pat and select Hood-Schifino, a questionable and costly decision. While he may very well turn into a valuable player one day, the move doesn’t help the Lakers now, which is why this is among the team’s biggest offseason regrets.
In 20 games played as a rookie thus far, Hood-Schifino has averaged 1.7 points while shooting 22.7 percent from the floor and 14.3 percent from 3 in 5.4 minutes per game. He’s not on the floor often and doesn’t look ready to help the Lakers win now when he is.