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One key area Rob Pelinka must address to bolster Lakers' roster
After ending the regular season with big playoff aspirations, the Los Angeles Lakers found themselves eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka can now begin reshaping the roster in hopes of building a contender.
During his end-of-year press conference, Pelinka discussed making improvements to the roster, mentioning that he doesn't want to foil LeBron James' hopes, as the 2025-26 season would be the 40-year-old's 23rd in the NBA.
"I think LeBron is going to have high expectations for the roster," Pelinka said. "And we're going to do everything we can to meet those."
"I think LeBron is going to have high expectations for the roster and we are going to do everything we can to meet those."
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 1, 2025
— Lakers GM Rob Pelinka on how the Lakers will approach this offseason with LeBron pic.twitter.com/jGnHSXatVx
Pelinka made numerous moves to improve LeBron's supporting cast this year, the most notable being sending Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic.
While bringing in Doncic gave LeBron a new superstar running mate, the Lakers' roster still has its flaws. Looking ahead to the offseason, there is one key area he can address that should increase their title odds.
Following the trade deadline, the Lakers embraced a small-ball style. This had a lot to do with personnel, mainly their lack of depth in the frontcourt. Jaxson Hayes is a rotation-level center in the NBA but isn't a big-minute contributor on a contending team at this stage of his career.
Pelinka tried to address the center position at the deadline, acquiring Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. However, the deal fell through after Williams failed a physical.
If the Lakers want to contend, they'll need a reliable option at center, especially with big man Nikola Jokic commanding the Western Conference. Moreover, the Lakers are leaving easy points off the board by not having a lob-catching big to pair with Doncic in the pick-and-roll.
Pelinka and the Lakers front office have their work cut out for them, and adding a center should be their top priority this summer.
More must-reads:
- Canceled trade for center looms large for Lakers as season ends
- Lakers' fourth-quarter woes were historically bad
- The 'NBA's active leaders in 20-point, 10-assist games' quiz
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Bills GM says James Cook decision was 'disappointing'
On Monday, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane responded to James Cook's decision not to practice with the team on Sunday. Cook, who had been practicing with the Bills through training camp until that point amid contract negotiations, told ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg that he made a "business" decision not to practice with his teammates. During an appearance on WGR 550, Beane said the team did not know of Cook's plan until right before practice. He was disappointed that the situation deteriorated to a point where the star running back felt the need to miss a practice. "There's been constant communication between the two sides....at the end of the day I wish we weren't here," Beane said, via WGR's Sal Capaccio. "This is my ninth season and have never had a player miss practice due too a contract, so it's disappointing for me." Beane doesn't believe Cook's negotiations will cause a distraction in the locker room unless players "let it become" a distraction. The negotiations between the Bills and Cook could continue past training camp. "We'd love to keep him, but I have to make sure it all fits under an umbrella, not in a silo... If we don't get something done now it doesn't mean we can't before (Cook) becomes a free agent," Beane said. Cook is looking for a $15 million per year deal after earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance and earning the NFL rushing touchdowns co-leader (tied with Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs with 16) in 2024. Beane said he isn't taking a hard line on not paying Cook because he's a running back, saying the Bills want to sign him at the "sweet spot." The Bills need the "sweet spot" to come sooner rather than later. It's common for teams to deal with sit-outs and holdouts during the preseason. What Buffalo doesn't want is a distraction during the regular season or postseason, and that could be where this is headed.
Aaron Boone addresses Alex Rodriguez’s criticism of Yankees
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