What do the Lakers need to win again?

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered an early elimination in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, which has caused many changes this offseason. The board fired Darvin Ham after two years directing the Purple and Gold and is looking for his replacement. According to several reports, JJ Redick is in pole position to take the position, although they are still meeting with other coaches before making a final decision.

After naming the new coach, the Lakers will focus on improving the squad for the next campaign, which involves the departure of some players and the hiring of an All-Star. The three players who are immovable are LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves. Although the big question is whether LeBron James will return, managers are confident that the future NBA Hall of Famer will extend his stay in Los Angeles for at least two more years.

For Austin Reaves, the most important thing is to maintain the base of players who have been together for the last two years if they want to compete for the championship next season. The 26-year-old believes that trust in the project that Darvin Ham started will pay off for the Lakers in the short and medium term.

Austin Reaves' opinion

“It’s a tough question because it’s a very tough league,” Reaves said. “There are so many teams that are growing; you see teams like Oklahoma, Minnesota, and obviously the two teams that are left, young teams that have been together for a while and have learned to play in a system around each other. I feel like that’s something you need in any sport you play, like consistency in basically a system and just growing that with what we have.”

“Obviously, Bron and AD are a very special couple to have, but we are just developing a system around those two to help where necessary and then play around them. But I think we are going in the right direction, obviously, with a coaching change on the way. I don’t know when they’re going to hire a coach, so I’m right here with you on that news. But hopefully, we get someone who comes to work every day the same way we do, ready to try to win a championship,” he concluded.