Mitch Kupchak , general manager of the Lakers, appeared in a press conference to give his opinion about the situation in which the franchise finds itself once the first days of the market have passed and some of the new contracts have already been signed. Can the Lakers make it to the Playoffs with the current team? "It's a little early, but I would say yes... I don't see why we can't fight for a playoff spot. But our young players have to grow over the years and we must stay healthy", he replied.
The purple and gold team have tried to sign players like LaMarcus Ladridge, Greg Monroe, or DeAndre Jordan. Despite their rejections, Kupchak does not consider this fact to be "demoralizing". "It's part of the business. There are 30 very, very competitive teams in the NBA. All general managers are smart. It's not realistic to think that every time you want to acquire a free agent in the market, you're going to get him", he continued.
And what about Kobe Bryant? "We've added a series of veterans (Hibbert, Bass...) that we believe will make him happy. And there will be young players who will frustrate him. That's how it should be. Being honest, I think his main focus will be conditioning his body for the start of the season", he highlighted.