The Los Angeles Lakers still generate a ton of headlines, but this year it happened again as they added several big names.

Whether it’s new names like Russell westbrook or Carmelo Anthony or familiar faces like Trevor Ariza or Dwight Howard back home, the Lakers are more starred than ever. So we wanted to see what their lineup will look like at the start of the season.

Note that this depth map will be inherently incomplete until we know the state of Dennis schröder. The Lakers can also spend the mid-level taxpayer exception of $ 5.9 million to add more depth, by ESPN Bobby Marques. They can potentially keep Wesley matthews and Markieff Morris as well as.

We already know that the list is old – there are five players over 35 and eight players over 32 – but for now, here is a better idea of ​​what the depth table looks like in Los Angeles.

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ENTRANCE: Russell westbrook

DEPTH: Kendrick Nunn, Dennis Schroeder *

While the Lakers could have landed Inmate buddy ceding fewer assets, Los Angeles decided to put all of their tokens on the table instead for a bigger name in Russell westbrook. It is not known if the organization will keep Dennis schröder, although it seems very likely that he leaves either by sign and trade, or directly. So, we can expect either Westbrook or James James as the main facilitator most of the time with Kendrick nunn as a general floor in the second unit.

* Free agency decision yet to be determined

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ENTRANCE: Wayne ellington

DEPTH: Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk

The best news here is that the Lakers will retain the former 20-year-old Iowa star. Talen Horton-Tucker. Eventually, emerging talent could end up in the first unit in Los Angeles. But until then it’s fair to place the marksmanship veteran Wayne ellington in this role because of his shooting. Him and Kent bazemore will be able to help space the floor, which is a must for any programming featuring Westbrook. Meanwhile, Monk Malik can help as a spark plug marker on the bench.

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ENTRANCE: James lebron

DEPTH: Kent Bazemore, Alfonzo McKinnie

The Lakers will only go so far James lebron can take them and luckily, before his injuries last season, it turned out pretty far. Despite his age, James still played MVP-caliber basketball. While his durability may have taken a hit, expect James to continue exploiting offense as the primary option for Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.

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ENTRANCE: Anthony davis

DEPTH: Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza

Playing all five in the NBA is about as physically demanding as it gets, so Anthony davis prefers to play four to preserve his health as long as possible. Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony and James lebron will finally have the chance to play together. The longtime friends both entered the league via the 2003 NBA Draft and although James is a four-time champion, Anthony still wants his ring. He already has NCAA titles and won gold in the Olympics, so a chance to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy is exactly what he needs next. Los Angeles will also have Trevor Ariza, who grew up nearby and attended Westchester High School before attending UCLA and then winning a title with the Lakers in 2009.

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ENTRANCE: Marc Gasol

DEPTH: Dwight Howard

Maybe the Lakers give the green light to Dwight Howard, who offered elite rim protection during his stint with the Lakers when they won the title in 2020. But for now, the right decision is to leave Marc Gasol run with the first unit so that the starting five get as many shots as possible. Another option is to have Anthony davis play as a center then move Carmelo Anthony or Trevor Ariza all four.