A five-step plan to fix the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Luka Doncic and LeBron James were unable to overcome the team's poor roster construction.

Following their 4-1 series loss to Minnesota, it's clear the Doncic era in Los Angeles hasn't gotten off to the strongest of starts. Rob Pelinka will now be tasked with retooling the Lakers' roster ahead of next season. 

Here is a five-step plan to get the Lakers back on track this summer.

Step 1: Find a long-term answer at center

Alex Len, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko, the three centers on the Lakers roster, are heading into unrestricted free agency. It's clear none of them are at the level the Lakers need. Let them walk.

Then, Pelinka should turn his attention to big men who make sense next to Doncic. A rim-runner or two-way threat makes the most sense. Myles Turner is an ideal target, but unlikely unless acquired via a sign-and-trade. 

Nikola Vucevic could be a logical stopgap.  Vucevic was second in the NBA for rolls to the rim (out of pick-and-roll actions) per game, averaging 4.7. However, he isn't an out-and-out lob threat.

Step 2: Fix the perimeter defense

The Lakers finished the season ranked 19th in defensive three-point frequency. That means only 11 teams allowed more threes to be taken against them on a nightly basis. With Doncic's defensive limitations a clear issue, Pelinka must find a defensive bulldog on the perimeter.

Step 3: Add some bench scoring

Upon their elimination from the playoffs, the Lakers ranked dead last in bench scoring. JJ Redick's second unit averaged 14 points per contest on a shockingly low 11.8 attempts per game. Of course, some of that is due to him not making a single substitution in the second half of Game 4. 

Nevertheless, it's clear Redick doesn't have much trust in his role players. Pelinka must find guys who fit into Redick's system and can lighten the load on the starters.

Step 4: Convince LeBron James to continue playing

“I don’t have an answer to that,” James said when asked about his future on Wednesday, via Mike Trudell. “I’ll sit down with my wife, family and support group…have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. We’ll see.”

James has a player option worth $52.6 million for next season. He has made a habit of opting out and re-signing in recent years. While James will turn 41 next season, he's still among the most talented forwards in the NBA. If the Lakers want to compete for a championship, James can still play a significant role. 

Step 5: Consolidate some role players

Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber and possibly Dalton Knecht are all likely seen as tradable assets by Pelinka. Flipping some of those players into a higher-level rotation piece makes sense, especially if it adds more perimeter scoring. Redick's wing defense is in a strong position with Jared Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Adding another shooter could be a good way to go. The Lakers were 19th in attempts and 15th in makes during the regular season. If Los Angeles is going to get the best out of Doncic, it will need way better floor spacing. 

If Pelinka can work through this long list of tasks, the Lakers could find themselves in a much better spot by the time the 2025-26 season gets underway.