It has been a busy offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers, and they have taken the necessary steps to building a contender. The biggest step in the right direction for Los Angeles was terminating Byron Scott and filling the head coaching vacancy with Luke Walton, who made a name for himself after leading the Golden State Warriors to a record of 39-4 as their interim head coach.
The Walton hire had Lakers fans and former players alike buzzing about the possibility of the Lakers eventually returning to contention. Jamaal Wilkes, whose uniform hangs in the rafters of Staples Center, believes that the front office made the right choice in hiring Walton, but he claimed they have failed to surround the new head coach with talent in an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio:
"I am excited about Luke Walton being hired as the coach but he still needs great players" Jamaal Wilkes on #Lakers of hiring Luke Walton
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 14, 2016
There have been rumors of blockbuster trades that could potentially bring the Lakers to immediate title contention, but such deals would require Los Angeles to unload all of its young talent that they have acquired through the draft.