Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The NBA offseason is in full swing, and we’ve already seen teams like the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves making moves to get better. The Lakers have also made some additions, but not as splashy as trading for Giannis or LaMelo Ball.
Instead, the Lakers have re-signed Austin
Reaves to a max deal and drafted Cameron Carr with the No. 24 pick. There’s still plenty of time left to get things done, but this summer has big expectations for the Lakers’ front office, considering the amount of cap space and roster spots they have available.
For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked fans how much confidence they have in the Lakers’ front office, and the results weren’t glowing.
Most fans selecting “a little” feels fair, but it’s not exactly a huge vote of confidence. It signals that even with money to spend and roster spots potentially open, fans don’t know whether Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka can make the right moves to turn the team into true title contenders.
That’s also reflected in second place being the no-confidence option, and last place getting 13% of the vote being the a lot of confidence pick.
At this point, after many years in the position, Pelinka is in the show me stage with fans. They want to see the front office build out a championship roster around Luka Dončić, who is an MVP-caliber player. And this is the summer to do it.
Lakers fans love Cameron Carr
On the plus side, the Lakers moving up to select Carr in the draft has been a popular choice. Draft experts gave the selection rave reviews, and fans agree that it was a good pick.
Carr is exactly the kind of young athletic player the Lakers have been lacking. Obviously, it’s way too early to know how good he will be, but his selection points towards the Lakers working to address their lack of athleticism.
Hopefully, Carr and Adou Thiero can both have positive seasons and suddenly, the Lakers will have some second-unit guys who can really push the tempo and be an injection of energy for the team.
And if Pelinka does his job, there will be other great options on the bench and in the starting unit, making the Lakers a fun team that will win a ton in the West, both in the regular season and during the playoffs.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
