The Lakers offseason shows that the Atlanta Hawks are on the right track
The Los Angeles Lakers sold the farm when they traded with the New Orleans Pelicans to secure the services of Anthony Davis. They then took a loan to get Russell Westbrook and NBA karma is biting back. They are struggling to get a deal done to improve their roster and it just shows that the Atlanta Hawks are going the right way about building a successful franchise.
The Lakers traded seven players, three future first-round draft picks, and a future second-round pick to secure Davis. Then, two years later they traded four players to receive Westbrook, and they got three second-round picks as a small consolation.
This is totally win-now mode and that was fine when Davis helped lead them to the bubble championship in 2020. However, thanks to losing so many players, the Lakers have no roster consistency and as a result, thanks to this and injuries finished seventh in the West the following year. Then they finished 11th in the West last season which meant they missed the playoffs.
Why does this mean that the Atlanta Hawks are going about things the right way?
While it can be argued that the Lakers’ strategy led them to a championship, however, what it does mean is that they are in a terrible position now. They are stuck with three highly paid players, two of them are injury prone now and the other, Westbrook, is not fitting in with LeBron James and the way that he plays.
They are trying to make moves, first trying to offload Westbrook and his $47 million contract. This is going to be very hard to accomplish in the current NBA landscape. They also tried to trade for Buddy Hield who will give them the floor spacing they so desperately. Unfortunately, they did not have enough to offer to get the deal done.
By contract, the Hawks, who had a season interrupted by so many injuries, and also Covid were able to pull off the move of the summer. It cost them a number of draft picks and a player who was coming off contract and in return, they received an All-Star in the form of Dejounte Murray who is going to have a long-term impact on this team.
They also were able to move one of their young pieces, Kevin Huerter, to fix an area of concern, their perimeter defense. As a result, the Hawks are going to contend for a championship for many years to come while the Lakers are going to struggle to make the playoffs even with James and Davis in the lineup.
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What is even better for the Atlanta Hawks is they still have some good moving parts which they can use throughout the season if they have to address a need. There is never a guarantee of a championship, however, the Hawks are positioned well for the next few years to create a dynasty. The Lakers are looking like they are going to be consigned to the bottom of the West for a time.