Lack of depth
There’s no question that the Lakers have one of the best duos in the NBA now. James and Davis should be a force to be reckoned with in the 2019-20 season. After all, analytically they’re two of the best players the league has ever seen. That being said, once you look down the bench from the two stars you notice a significant drop off in talent.
Kyle Kuzma is a player Los Angeles was determined to keep out of any trade package for Davis, which they did successfully. Kuzma is a great young piece to have out on the court with James and Davis, but you need more than just three players to win a championship. Obviously, the Lakers have newly acquired rookies and enough cap space to help fill out the rest of the roster, but will that be enough to win a title next season?
The initial reaction is no. Especially if the Lakers decide to try to free up enough cap space to bring in a third star to the team. While historically teams centered around a “Big 3” have done well in the league, a team is only going to go as far as its bench can carry them. James is getting to the age where playing 40-plus minutes a night will start to take a significant toll, and Davis has yet to play in a full NBA season.
If the Lakers want to win a championship in the next couple of seasons then they have a lot of holes to fill on the team thanks to the trade.