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Examining LA’s roster after signing Rajon Rondo and DeAndre Jordan

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First, the Lakers’ depth chart with the 14 players currently on the roster:

PG
Kendrick Nunn
Rajon Rondo
Russell Westbrook

SG
Talen Horton-Tucker
Malik Monk
Wayne Ellington

SF
Kent Bazemore
LeBron James

PF
Trevor Ariza
Carmelo Anthony
Anthony Davis

CE
Dwight Howard
Deandre Jordan
Marc Gasol

Second, the Lakers’ depth chart without Gasol — and with Davis starting at power forward.

PG

RUSSELL WESTBROOK
Kendrick Nunn
Rajon Rondo

SG
WAYNE ELLINGTON
Talen Horton-Tucker
Malik Monk

SF
LEBRON JAMES
Kent Bazemore

PF
ANTHONY DAVIS
Trevor Ariza
Carmelo Anthony

CE
DWIGHT HOWARD
Deandre Jordan

And third, the preferred starting group, especially in the scenario Gasol leaves: Davis at center and James at power forward.

PG
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
Rajon Rondo

SG
WAYNE ELLINGTON
Kendrick Nunn
Malik Monk

SF
KENT BAZEMORE
Talen Horton-Tucker

PF
LEBRON JAMES
Trevor Ariza
Carmelo Anthony

CE
ANTHONY DAVIS
Dwight Howard
Deandre Jordan

Let’s dig into each position and then a couple of key questions.

…

Which players get squeezed in the rotation?

The Lakers will likely go with a 10- or 11-man rotation again, meaning that three or four players will be collecting DNP-CDs or playing five or fewer minutes a night. The most likely candidates are Jordan, Monk, Rondo and Ellington (if he doesn’t start).

James, Davis and Westbrook are rotation fixtures. Horton-Tucker and Nunn are the fourth- and fifth-highest-paid Lakers, respectively. Bazemore and Ariza are the two best non-James/Davis perimeter defenders. Howard is the primary backup center (and possibly the starter if Gasol leaves). If Gasol stays, he’s probably the starter. Anthony is a stretch-big who can swing a stretch off of the bench. That alone is nine to 10 players in the rotation.

Last season was the perfect illustration that even the best-laid plans can go awry. The Lakers will need all 13 or 14 roster players in some capacity. For now, though, Jordan, Monk and Rondo are penciled behind players that are either better than them and/or are paid more than them, which tends to dictate playing time, to some extent.

But be it injuries, COVID-19 protocols or performance fluctuation, there are countless variables that will inevitably reshape the rotation.

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