Lakers Pitch Would Move Russell & 1st-Round Pick Package for $160 Million Wing

The Los Angeles Lakers front office faces even more pressure to upgrade their roster after 39-year-old LeBron James showed he still has enough in the tank to lead a team in the Olympics. Los Angeles hasn’t added any players in free agency or a trade after losing in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Denver Nuggets.Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report called the Lakers’ quiet offseason “borderline indefensible,” highlighting the need for improvements next to James.“Perhaps LeBron James’ MVP performance at the Olympics will be a wake-up call for the Lakers,” Buckley wrote on August 16. “Their sleepy summer feels borderline indefensible with the 39-year-old still hooping at such a high level and still being in such obvious need of an upgraded supporting cast.”