- Report: Kyrie Irving wants to shut down notion that he’s ‘angling’ to get to Lakers
- Gilbert Arenas says LeBron James will be behind Karl Malone if he goes to Dallas Mavericks
- Jaren Jackson Jr. calls LeBron James the ‘greatest player to play’ the game of basketball
- Report: Lakers have maintained that they have no interest in Kyrie Irving
- Report: Kyrie Irving has been recruiting LeBron James to Dallas Mavericks in hopes of forming Big 3 with Luka Doncic
- Magic Johnson explains how he led Lakers in same way Jimmy Butler currently leads Heat
- Rich Paul offers cryptic response when asked whether he expects LeBron James to return next season
- Report: Kentucky big man among promising draft prospects Lakers worked out on Friday
- Lakers insider speculates Mo Bamba and Malik Beasley won’t be back with Lakers
- Report: Lakers likely to keep No. 17 pick in 2023 NBA Draft
LeBron James says Lakers rookie Scotty Pippen Jr. has ‘bright’ future
- Updated: July 21, 2022
The Los Angeles Lakers have shifted their roster this offseason to become a little younger.
Among the new players that the franchise has brought in, Scotty Pippen Jr. is believed in by Lakers superstar LeBron James.
The kid has a bright future!! 💜💛 https://t.co/YobiiXICsH
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 21, 2022
James, 37, is heading into his 20th season in the NBA.
The four-time MVP is coming off an incredible personal campaign, but his team had a terrible time last season. He gathered 30.3 points, 8.2 boards and 6.2 assists per game during the 2021-22 campaign. Furthermore, he shot 52.4 percent from the field.
Despite James’ amazing individual performance, his team was atrocious last season. The Lakers missed the playoffs by a long shot. They finished with the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference and a 33-49 record.
As a result, the franchise has prioritized going younger. The team picked up Lonnie Walker IV and Troy Brown Jr. among other youngsters.
Of course, Pippen is one of the undrafted gems the Lakers collected this offseason. The guard averaged more than 20 points per contest during each of his final two seasons at Vanderbilt University.
In 36 games with the Commodores in the 2021-22 season, Pippen collected 20.4 points, 4.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per contest.
Surely, the Lakers will need the additional support. The franchise is working on ways to enhance the roster. In fact, veteran Russell Westbrook has seemingly been on the trading block for the past few months.
The Lakers are reportedly trying to trade the former MVP in a deal that would land them Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who won a a championship with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.