Los Angeles Lakers

With Russell Westbrook still on the roster and Dennis Schröder recently signed, don't expect Patrick Beverley to play much point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers this season.

According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, "sources say Beverley is regarded internally by the club as a 3-and-D wing and not as a point guard at this stage of his career. The Lakers, in other words, see Westbrook and Schröder as their point guards as of Sept. 18... and the likes of Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV as 2s and 3s."

Even if Westbrook is eventually traded, most of the playmaking duties will run through LeBron James, so Beverley wouldn't be playing as an on-ball creator much regardless.

That probably suits his skill set. The 34-year-old is a dogged perimeter defender who has shot 37.8 percent from three for his career, making him a strong 3-and-D option. But while he averaged 4.6 assists per game last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he hasn't traditionally been a plus facilitator.

And while there will be some questions about whether he might be at a disadvantage as a wing defender against taller players at the position, given his 6'1" stature, Beverley has proven to be a pest in that regard throughout his career.

Of course, the Westbrook trade rumors are going to persist into the season until he proves he can actually fit next to James and Anthony Davis. That seems unlikely—Westbrook is a ball-dominant point guard who shoots poorly from the perimeter (30.5 percent from three over his career, 29.8 percent from three last season) and hurts the team's floor spacing.

Add in that he isn't a great defender, and he's a tough fit next to James, who traditionally has thrived alongside 3-and D role players. That's where Beverley is a more seamless fit with his new superstar teammates.

For now, a starting lineup of Westbrook, Beverley, James, Davis and Thomas Bryant seems likely, with Schröder, Reaves, Nunn, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones, among others, coming off the bench. But a possible Westbrook trade looms nonetheless, and will remain a storyline throughout the season.

Dennis Schröder said his agent canvassed the entire league looking to find him a role before he signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"My agent worked all the time, negotiated, talked to all NBA clubs," Schröder said, per BasketNews. "He was doing his job, and I was doing my job on the court in Cologne and Berlin [in EuroBasket competition]."

Schröder's deal with the Lakers is for the veteran's minimum, which is a far cry from the four-year, $84 million deal the team offered him nearly two years ago. The veteran guard decided to bet on himself rather than sign the extension during the 2020-21 season, a move that ultimately backfired, as he's now signed consecutive one-year deals for low money.

Schröder split the 2021-22 season with the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets, averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.

If the Lakers get that level of production from Schröder, he will be a steal on a veteran's minimum contract. The 29-year-old has consistently shown himself to be capable of offensively propping up bench units; his issues typically come when he's asked to shoulder a greater load.

Given the continued uncertainty regarding Russell Westbrook's future in Los Angeles, there's a chance Schröder winds up getting a second opportunity with a significant role with the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley isn't buying the idea teammate Russell Westbrook might come off the bench during the 2022-23 NBA season.

Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Friday the idea of moving the nine-time All-Star to a reserve role is being "strongly considered" by L.A.

"Yal be reaching bro. S--t is really funny," Beverley wrote on Instagram in response to a post about the rumor.

The Lakers have revamped their backcourt during the offseason. They acquired Beverley in a trade with the Utah Jazz and signed a pair of notable free agents, Dennis Schröder and Lonnie Walker IV.

Austin Reaves and Kendrick Nunn, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, are among the returnees from last year's roster.

So there will be a lot of competition for playing time alongside the superstar tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In turn, it's not unfair to suggest Westbrook will have to fight for minutes following a mostly forgettable first season in L.A.

The 2016-17 NBA MVP averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting just 44.4 percent from the field, including 29.8 percent on threes, in 78 games. He ranked tied for 232nd out of 250 qualified players in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric (-0.7).

It feels likely the Lakers will give the longtime standout point guard an opportunity to bounce back before severely diminishing his role, though. A lineup with Westbrook, Beverley, Reaves, James and Davis makes the most sense for now.

If Westbrook struggles again, however, Schröder could step into the crunch-time group.

Beverley and Westbrook, two of the NBA's most fiery competitors, have engaged in some on-court confrontations over the years, but it appears they're willing to put any lingering issues aside for the betterment of the Lakers.

L.A. opens the regular season Oct. 18 when it visits the Chase Center to take on the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

Dennis Schröder rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year, $2.64 million deal on Friday, but it appears he considered a couple of other options before choosing the Purple and Gold.

Schröder considered signing with the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns before landing with the Lakers, The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania said during an appearance on Bally Sports' The Rally on Friday.

https://twitter.com/TheRally/status/1570907220270792707

The Raptors previously expressed interest in signing Schröder when he became a free agent after the 2020-21 campaign, so it's no surprise they revisited negotiations with the veteran this summer.

Schröder would have been a solid depth addition for the Raptors behind Fred VanVleet and would have put Toronto one step closer to competing with the top teams in the Eastern Conference, such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers.

The Suns had also been linked to Schröder throughout the summer and he would've added some depth behind Chris Paul on a Phoenix bench that includes Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet.

That said, it appears the opportunity to reunite with LeBron James and Anthony Davis was just too good to turn down.

It's unclear if James played a role in getting Schroder back to L.A., but he did express his excitement about the signing in an Instagram post shortly after the news broke:

LeBron on Dennis Schroder being back with the Lakers. ✊ pic.twitter.com/9iKMKEonUM

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 17, 2022

Schröder spent the 2020-21 season with the Lakers and started all 61 games he appeared in. He averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor and 33.5 percent from deep.

He helped the Purple and Gold finish seventh in the Western Conference with a 42-30 record, though the franchise was eliminated from the postseason with a first-round loss to the Suns in six games.

While Schröder will add some nice depth behind Russell Westbrook, it's also possible he could see some time in the starting lineup.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jovan Buha, the Lakers are "strongly considering" playing Westbrook off the bench. So, either Schröder or Patrick Beverley could be assigned the starting role.

The Purple and Gold were limited in what roster transactions they could make this summer because of the hefty contracts of James, Westbrook and Anthony Davis, and the addition of Schröder didn't necessarily make them any better.

That said, L.A. could be in for another disappointing season.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is happy to have Dennis Schröder back in the Purple and Gold, posting a photo of the two on his Instagram story with the caption:

"Yessir!! So damn happy to have you back!! You're like that! LFG!!!"

LeBron on Dennis Schroder being back with the Lakers. ✊ pic.twitter.com/9iKMKEonUM

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 17, 2022

Schröder signed a one-year, $2.64 million deal to return to the Lakers on Friday, per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

During his first stint with the Lake Show in 2020-21, Schröder averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 61 games, all of which were starts, while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor and 33.5 percent from deep.

In six playoff games that season, Schröder averaged 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 40 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent from deep.

The 29-year-old gives L.A. some added depth behind Russell Westbrook at point guard. And, if Westbrook fails to live up to expectations for the second straight season, Schröder will be able to step into a starting role.

The Los Angeles Lakers were in talks about a four-team deal involving the New York Knicks, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets earlier this summer before the Jazz sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Per The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jovan Buha, one preliminary iteration of the talks between the four teams would have seen the Lakers get Bojan Bogdanovic and Terry Rozier.

Amick and Buha noted the Lakers and Jazz are still talking, with Los Angeles pursuing Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley.

The Cavs acquired Mitchell from the Jazz for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three draft picks and two pick swaps on Sept. 1.

The rumor mill continues to churn with talk about what the Lakers might look to do before the start of the regular season. They did add help on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.64 million deal with Dennis Schröder, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Buddy Hield and Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers have been linked to the Lakers throughout the offseason, but there's no indication anything is getting close between the two sides.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week on SportsCenter (h/t Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors) that Los Angeles has shown a willingness to use its 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks for the right player(s).

According to Wojnarowski, Hield and Turner wouldn't be enough to get the Lakers to use both of those picks to facilitate a deal.

The Jazz might be the best potential partner for the Lakers in their quest to find players who can help them compete for a playoff spot this season. Utah is clearly in sell mode after moving Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Los Angeles has already taken advantage of the Jazz's fire sale by acquiring Patrick Beverley for Stanley Johnson and Talen Horton-Tucker. Clarkson is very familiar with the Lakers, having spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the team.

Bogdanovic is probably the best trade candidate still on Utah's roster. The 33-year-old is owed $19.3 million in 2022-23, the final season of his current deal. He's averaged 18.3 points per game with a 40.3 three-point percentage over the past four seasons.

The Lakers are coming off an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record in 2021-22.

The Los Angeles Lakers turned to a familiar face to boost their backcourt depth ahead of the start of training camp.

Dennis Schröder signed with the team on Friday.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, it's a one-year, $2.64 million deal for the veteran guard.

Schröder was one of the last notable players still waiting to find a home in free agency. He becomes the second acquisition for the Lakers' backcourt in the past month. They added Patrick Beverley in a trade with the Utah Jazz on Aug. 25.

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Lakers Betting on New-and-Improved Schröder

The last time Schröder played for the Lakers was during the 2020-21 season. He was acquired in an offseason trade for Danny Green and Jaden McDaniels.

Their marriage only lasted one season, with the Lakers deciding to move on after Schröder reportedly turned down a four-year extension worth around $80 million.

Schröder's decision to bet on himself backfired. He signed a one-year deal for the taxpayer midlevel with the Boston Celtics in August 2021. Things didn't work out, and Boston traded him to the Houston Rockets midway through the season.

The Celtics wound up catching fire down the stretch, reaching the NBA Finals. Schröder had another extended free agency before winding up back with the Lakers.

Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times did note the Lakers have heard praise of Schröder's attitude:

Multiple sources have cited Dwight Howard's return to the organization in 2019-20 -- sources have raved about Schroder's attitude this summer and they way he's expressed acceptance in complimentary roles https://t.co/jhx1cjnbvX

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) September 16, 2022

The willingness to play more of a complimentary role will likely be key for Schröder. He doesn't figure to see a lot of time in the starting or closing lineups for the Lakers.

But if Schröder can make a positive impact on the franchise and they are able to contend for a playoff spot, it will likely increase his value for a contract next offseason.

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Russ Trade Watch Continues

All eyes were on Russell Westbrook after the Lakers added Beverley because of the longstanding rivalry between the two players.

Both men seemed like they put those issues behind them earlier this month during Beverley's introductory press conference.

"Super excited," Beverley told reporters when asked about the fit with Westbrook. "... I was asked this question two, three years ago, [about] someone I always wanted to play with and [Westbrook] was the first name. I have [known] Bron since I was a baby, a rookie in this league, so obviously I want to play with him."

It seems less likely there will be any movement on a Westbrook trade before the start of the season.

The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jovan Buha reported on Friday there are "strong indications" Westbrook won't be traded anytime soon in part because they don't want to take on long-term money and/or part with future draft picks that would limit what they can do in the future.

New head coach Darvin Ham has been very supportive of Westbrook being a positive contributor to the Lakers in 2022-23.

"I love Russell Westbrook, man. Just his mentality, his approach," Ham told Andscape's Marc J. Spears in July. "Just to see him, a guy of that magnitude and everything he's done in the league to get hated on. But being me, I got a wholehearted plan, a clear plan on how I'm going to use him."

The additions of Schröder and Beverley do give the Lakers multiple options at point guard if they want to trade Westbrook. But it's difficult to find a team willing to add Westbrook's $47.1 million salary this season without also receiving a significant asset—say, a 2027 or 2029 first-round draft pick—in return.

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Darvin Ham Will Need to Hit the Ground Running

It's hard to say any head coach with LeBron James and Anthony Davis is in a bad spot, but Ham is going to have his work cut out for him in a high-pressure situation. He is also in a place now where the Lakers have a backcourt with Westbrook, Schröder, Beverley, Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV.

https://twitter.com/MarkG_Medina/status/1570904473148747776

Assuming a Westbrook trade doesn't happen before the season, Lakers management has tasked the first-time head coach with figuring out a situation that keeps the strong-willed former MVP happy and does what's in the best interest of the team.

According to Buha, the Lakers will give Ham "more power" to bench Westbrook at the end of games as he sees fit.

Previous head coach Frank Vogel attempted to sit Westbrook in the closing stretch of games last season, but the nine-time All-Star publicly voiced his displeasure in a passive-aggressive manner.

Westbrook blamed back issues he was having in the middle of the 2021-22 season for how much time he was sitting on the bench.

Russell Westbrook said he felt discomfort in his back against Milwaukee, and adds that part of the issue is that he's not accustomed "to sitting down for long stretches".

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) February 11, 2022

Schröder has been criticized in the past for his attitude and commitment to winning games. If history is any indication, James hasn't always been the easiest player to coach. Davis has been one of the league's best players for most of his career, but injuries have limited him to 76 regular-season games over the past two seasons.

Very little about the Lakers roster as it is presently constructed makes sense. Ham's job will be to figure out if there is a way to make the puzzle pieces fit in such a way that they can at least compete for a playoff spot.

The Los Angeles Lakers remain hesitant to trade veteran point guard Russell Westbrook, and it's reportedly because they don't want to sacrifice much of their future in order to move him.

If the Purple and Gold want to trade Westbrook, they'll almost certainly have to part with their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks to do so.

Those two picks will be two huge factors in the team's future, and a "high-level Lakers source" told The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jovan Buha that the Purple and Gold's refusal to trade Westbrook stems from concerns about their future should they lose those assets.

"Imagine it’s July 2023, and the Lakers are not only flush with enough free-agency cash to add another maximum-salary-level player but also in possession of their first-round picks from 2027 and 2029. ... According to a high-level Lakers source, their refusal to do Westbrook deals with Indiana and Utah that have been discussed in various capacities for months has everything to do with this hopeful vision for their future beyond this season.

"As uncomfortable as this Westbrook experience has been — and might yet still be — this best-case scenario outlook is the driving force behind their surprising choice to pass up chances to part ways with Westbrook. In the absence of a deal they truly believe returns them to title-contender status, sources say, Westbrook is highly likely to remain."

Westbrook will become a free agent after the 2022-23 campaign. So, it's a little more reasonable for the team to keep him on board for one more season, regardless of how painful it may be, than sacrifice sustained success in the future.

Westbrook had a tough first season in L.A., averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 78 games while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep.

However, there's always a possibility he turns things around in 2022-23 to help the Purple and Gold finish better than they did last season when they finished 11th in the Western Conference and missed the postseason.

In addition, the Lakers have also added reinforcements behind Westbrook should he fail to live up to expectations.

The team acquired Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz last month in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson and signed Dennis Schröder to a one-year, $2.64 million deal on Friday.

Both players are solid depth options and would have no problem stepping into a starting role if needed.

The Purple and Gold's future beyond Westbrook is exciting, and it will be even better if they can retain those two first-round draft picks to either use in a blockbuster trade or to draft marquee prospects.

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly targeting a trio of Utah Jazz players in trade conversations amid Utah's rebuild this offseason.

According to Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Lakers covet Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley ahead of the start of the 2022-23 NBA regular season next month.

After reaching the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons, but failing to get past the second round, the Jazz decided to tear things down and start from scratch.

The most notable moves have been trading All-Star center Rudy Gobert and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively, for huge packages of first-round draft picks and players.

Utah now has something of a franken-roster made up of holdovers from last year's team and players acquired in the Gobert and Mitchell trades, and it seems likely that they would be willing to ship out more players for future assets.

The Lakers and Jazz have already done business once this offseason, as L.A. sent Utah both Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson for veteran guard Patrick Beverley last month after Beverley was picked up in the Gobert trade.

L.A. missed the playoffs last season with a disappointing 33-49 record due largely to the fact that LeBron James and Anthony Davis missed significant time due to injury.

The Lakers likely don't have a championship roster even if LeBron and AD remain healthy this season, though, and that is primarily because Russell Westbrook opted into the final year of his contract in 2022-23 and made it difficult for Los Angeles to free up the money needed to make any other notable moves.

Landing a third star to play alongside James and Davis likely isn't possible right now, but bringing in a significant amount of depth would still be helpful to the Lakers' playoff and championship chances.

The 33-year-old Bogdanovic has spent the past three seasons in Utah, and he has played at the highest level of his career during that time.

Bogdanovic averaged a career-best 20.2 points per game in 2019-20, and last season he put up 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers made and 1.7 assists per contest, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Clarkson, 30, broke into the league with the Lakers in 2014 and spent parts of four seasons in L.A., but like Bogdanovic, he has been at his best in Utah over the past three seasons.

He won the 2020-21 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, and last season, he averaged 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 three-pointers made.

The 25-year-old Beasley, who was part of the Gobert trade, has spent six seasons in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets and Timberwolves.

Beasley averaged a career-high 19.6 points per game in 2020-21 and followed that up last season with 12.1 points, 3.0 three-pointers made, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Bogdanovic, Clarkson and Beasley are all offensively gifted players who would give the Lakers some much-needed offensive punch in support of James and Davis.

It is unclear if the Lakers are aiming to land one, two or all three of those players, but if they can find a way to bring in all of them without giving up too many current assets in return, they would have the look of a far more complete team than they are right now.

The Los Angeles Lakers added depth at point guard on Friday by signing veteran Dennis Schroder. His deal is worth $2.64 million over one year, according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

He'll join a group that already includes Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley, though he could also see time at shooting guard if needed, as could Beverley.

The addition of Schroder will impact L.A.'s 2022-23 season depth chart, so let's take a look at each position and how the veteran will impact the team's outlook this year:

PG: Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder

SG: Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Lonnie Walker IV

SF: LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Troy Brown Jr.

PF: Anthony Davis, Juan Toscano-Anderson

C: Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones, Wenyen Gabriel

The lineup decisions to come will be Darvin Ham's, league sources say, but as it stands on Sept. 16: The Lakers head to training camp viewing Westbrook and Schroder as lead guards, PatBev as another 2-guard alongside Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves as a 3 behind LeBron James. https://t.co/sTQx9kE6ur

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 16, 2022

Adding Schroder only creates more security in the event Westbrook struggles again in 2022-23.

Schroder spent the 2021-22 campaign split between the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 64 games while shooting 43.1 percent from the floor and 34.4 percent from deep.

In his first stint with the Purple and Gold in 2020-21, Schroder averaged 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 61 games, all starts, while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lakers replaced Schroder with Westbrook, whom they acquired from the Washington Wizards, in 2021-22, and he put together one of the worst seasons of his NBA career, averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 78 games while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep.

L.A. tried trading Westbrook this summer, but there was minimal interest in the veteran point guard due to his $47.1 million 2022-23 salary and the fact that the Lakers were hesitant to attach first-round draft picks to move him.

So they acquired Beverley and signed Schroder, which gives them plenty of depth at the guard positions this season.

Still, if James and Davis fail to remain healthy, those additions might not mean much, and the Purple and Gold could be in for another disappointing finish after failing to make the postseason in 2021-22.