Can a Trade Fix the Lakers? Can They Afford Not to Try? Guest: Howard Beck, Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated has a great new book out on the Lakers, which compiles decades worth of great writing about the team by its iconic hoops writers into one volume. And the forward? Written by the great Howard Beck (who also contributes a story about Kobe Bryant's influence on the Lakers even after his death). The man knows the organization, having covered the Shaq/Kobe teams for the LA Daily News, and its management structure. He gets the culture, and the ethos. And he thinks they have real problems now - no shooting, no depth, and no reason to feel confident that Russell Westbrook will really settle into a pattern of great play - and in the future. What should the Lakers be doing right now? For one, it could start with recalibrating the purpose of a trade, whether for Indiana's Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, or someone else. If clear-cut contention is the bar the Lakers would have to clear, Beck believes there won't be a trade available to get there. Relevance, however, is attainable, and in the LeBron James era, that's the baseline obligation. Is that good enough for a team that only claims to value titles? How did they get here, anyway? Why have the Lakers spent so much time scuffling over the last decade, with one obviously exceptional moment of success? What limits the franchise, structurally? How does it's perception of self impact the way it operates? Meanwhile, what's it like to see so many Lakers-centric projects, from the SI book to multiple documentaries and fictionalized series, celebrating the team's success at a time when the actual on-court product hasn't been very good? How confident is Beck that the Lakers can turn this around? HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Sunday's win notwithstanding, the Lakers have some real issues with their roster. Is LeBron James one of them? His early metrics are down. SEGMENT 2: What's the right way to measure a successful trade for the Lakers? Does it need to be title contention? SEGMENT 3: Why have the Lakers found themselves in this predicament? How confident should people be in their ability to fix it? Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. BetOnline BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! LinkedIn LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA PrizePicks First time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDON Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices