Chris Carlin (Image Source: X/FirstTake)
The Los Angeles Lakers are desperately looking to make changes to their roster to strive for the championship title. However, they haven’t yet succeeded in securing any top-tier player in the offseason trade. In a time like this, Chris Carlin already predicted that the franchise won’t be able to make significant progress in the upcoming season.

During an appearance on “First Take,” the analyst boldly claimed, “I think the Lakers at this point are a whole lot more likely to miss the play-in than they are to make the play-offs.” Stating his reason for such a declaration, Carlin said that the team’s aces, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, might not be present for a chunk of games. The other factor that could pull the Lakers down is their new head coach, according to Carlin.

Being majorly carried by the two stars, the Lakers would certainly suffer during their absence. However, speculating whether rookie coach JJ Redick is a good fit for the Lakers or not is hard as no one has seen his strategies.

Carlin, like many, believes that LeBron is the main man acting in the background, despite being notified that the 39-year-old stayed far from front-office matters. Not only Carlin but also others feel the same way: the Lakers won’t be able to make a run for the title.

Lakers Target Chooses Warriors

After setting their eyes, the Lakers failed to acquire Buddy Hield as well in the trade. The Bahamian guard decided to restart his journey with the Warriors. The 31-year-old believes that the Warriors are a better fit for him. Following the confirmation of his trade, Hield said going to the Dubs “seemed like a perfect fit.”

Hield feels that he could learn from Stephen Curry and help him on his championship quest. The former Sixers guard is not the only one who will ditch the Lakers. Even Klay Thompson overlooked the idea of teaming up with LeBron and Co. To bounce back into the title, the Lakers need to have more focus and better trades.