NBA – Two Lakers departures already decided? “They are likely good as gone”

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

Eliminated early on from the title race, the Lakers will be looking to make a number of changes to their squad this summer. This will involve not only arrivals, but also departures, with two players already all but guaranteed to leave the franchise.

In contrast to the 2024 off-season, during which they were rather inactive, they intend to be one of the main players on the market this year. And what could be more logical, given that the Lakers have seen the limitations of their squad in recent weeks. Swept aside in the first round of the playoffs, they will undoubtedly have to reshape their squad in order to challenge for the title next year.

The fate of two Lakers supposedly already sealed

In this backdrop of rumour-mongering, the Lakers are working hard to establish the leads they will be exploring this summer. But before making any significant arrivals, they need to determine which of their players can be sacrificed. Not to mention those who could leave Los Angeles freely in a few weeks’ time. Sports Illustrated’s Ricardo Sandoval recently reported on this subject:

Three Lakers players will become unrestricted free agents this off-season, namely Jaxson Hayes, Markieff Morris and Alex Len. The likelihood of the franchise retaining each of these three players is lower than anything else.

In all likelihood, and despite his minimal use during the playoffs, Hayes appears to be the most credible candidate for a new contract in LA.

After all, he has shown in recent months that he can be of some service in post 5, where the Purple & Gold could use him as a simple replacement next season. On the other hand, according to Sandoval, the two other players mentioned above should leave:

As far as Morris and Len go, they are likely good as gone. 

Prior to being tagged along in the Luka Doncic trade, Morris expressed his desire to walk away from the game. He will likely take that route. As for Len, he was viewed as a potential key piece for the Lakers at the center position after the Mark Williams deal fell through. However, he had very little to no impact on the team. He only played in 10 games with four starts as a Laker.

Having failed to prove their worth during their few months with the Angelinos, Markieff Morris and Alex Len will no longer be playing for them next year. This news will certainly come as no surprise to fans, who have been anything but thrilled with their performances since joining the team. It remains to be seen who will replace them on the roster.