Lakers Rumors: Latest Buzz on Anthony Davis, DeMar DeRozan and Jared Dudley

0 of 3

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2021-22 season is about to get underway. And after an eventful offseason filled with trades and free-agent signings for the team, the attention will finally turn to what’s happening on the court.

With the Lakers set to open training camp on Wednesday, their roster looks much different compared to the end of the 2020-21 season. While LeBron James and Anthony Davis are back, Los Angeles brought in a third star (Russell Westbrook) and a host of complementary role players.

Did the Lakers make the right moves to return to title contention and potentially win their second championship in three seasons? There will soon be a better idea of how Los Angeles will fare once it gets on the court and begins playing games.

As the start of the NBA season nears, here’s some of the latest buzz surrounding the team.

1 of 3

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Davis is a versatile player in the post, capable of playing power forward and center. And he’s done both since being traded to the Lakers prior to the 2019-20 season. So, where will he be to begin the 2021-22 campaign?

According to a recent report from The Athletic’s Bill Oram, Shams Charania and Sam Amick, Davis has “emerged as the expected starting center” for Los Angeles, with the projected lineup also likely to feature Westbrook, James, Wayne Ellington and Trevor Ariza. Ellington and Ariza were among the many veterans who signed with the Lakers over the offseason.

That starting five isn’t set in stone, though. Oram, Charania and Amick also reported that third-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker is “expected to compete in camp for a possible starting role.” Horton-Tucker had a solid 2020-21 season, averaging 9.0 points in 65 games while mostly coming off the bench.

If this is the look that the Lakers end up going with, they’ll then have players such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Kent Bazemore, Kendrick Nunn, Rajon Rondo and others to come off the bench. Should Los Angeles want to slide Davis over to power forward, Howard or Jordan would be options to come in at center.

2 of 3

Ned Dishman/Getty Images

The Lakers were busy during the offseason, and not just with the moves they ended up making. It seems there were plenty of discussions regarding other potential moves.

One of those would have brought DeMar DeRozan to Los Angeles, according to Oram, Charania and Amick, who reported that the Lakers “strongly considered” a sign-and-trade to acquire the 32-year-old guard. They would have then sent Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the San Antonio Spurs, per the report.

That deal never materialized because the Lakers “couldn’t come to consensus terms with the Spurs in free agency or a suitable contract number for DeRozan,” per Oram, Charania and Amick. 

The Spurs ended up working out a sign-and-trade deal that sent DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls, while Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope were sent from the Lakers to the Washington Wizards in the five-team deal that brought Westbrook to Los Angeles. But if the Lakers had brought in DeRozan, that could have greatly changed how the offseason unfolded for numerous teams.

3 of 3

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

After spending the past two seasons with the Lakers, Jared Dudley’s playing career is over. He’s now an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks, where he’ll be serving under head coach Jason Kidd, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Lakers.

However, Los Angeles didn’t want Dudley to leave the organization when it was decided that he wouldn’t be playing anymore. Oram, Charania and Amick reported the Lakers talked with Dudley about potential roles with the team, which included broadcasting. But Dudley decided to go to Dallas instead.

The 36-year-old Dudley didn’t play a ton for the Lakers, appearing in only 57 games over his two seasons. But he brought a veteran presence to the end of the bench, and it’s clear that he made an impression on Los Angeles for it to want to bring him back in some way.

Perhaps Dudley will end up working for the Lakers in some fashion down the line. But for now, he’ll look to help Kidd turn the Mavericks into a championship contender in the near future.