What type of players should the Lakers need to go after this offseason?

This year’s NBA Finals should give Rob Pelinka and the Lakers an idea of what type of players they need in order to be a complete team again.

If there’s a significant lesson that the Lakers have learned in this year’s playoffs, it’s that they’re far from being considered championship contenders.

As if being sent to Cancun after five games wasn’t enough of an indication of that, the last few weeks have also reminded the purple and gold that they have much to do in order to get to where the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers currently stand.

Right now, the Lakers have an imbalanced and incomplete roster as a result of swapping Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić. It’s not a team built around Luka and LeBron James.

Based on the two teams currently competing in the NBA Finals, it’s not hard to see what makes them championship contenders. Both the Thunder and Pacers are well-balanced teams, have two-way contributors from top to bottom, size, adequate bench production, high-powered offense and defense and, of course, superstar power.

These aforementioned qualities that these two squads possess have a lot to do with roster construction, which is an aspect that the Lakers must ace this summer in order to get back to being classified as legit title contenders. So, how can Los Angeles do just that?

Well, it starts by figuring out the exact type of players they need in order to complete their team. Here are the types of players President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka needs to go after this offseason.

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Bigs

Let’s start with the most obvious one because it’s what the Lakers desperately need. The void that Anthony Davis left on the team has yet to be filled and will likely not be because nobody can replace AD’s production. However, what L.A. can do is upgrade from Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len and that can be done either via a trade or free agency.

Currently, the free agent market has slim pickings, especially after Steven Adams decided to re-up with the Houston Rockets. The lone attractive name left on the big man list is Clint Capela, who the Lakers should definitely pursue this summer. Other than him, only the likes of Brook Lopez and Andre Drummond are worth considering.

So, this then brings us to discussing trades. Right now, the names floating around are Nic Claxton, who is currently playing for the Brooklyn Nets, as well as Daniel Gafford, who ironically is AD’s sidekick on the Dallas Mavericks.

Then there’s Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler, who the Lakers have been linked to over the last year. Pursuing a trade means having to let assets go, but if that means finally acquiring the right starting-caliber big that pairs well with Dončić, then so be it. What matters is that the Lakers address this crucial need this summer.

More two-way players

The thing about this season’s Lakers was that they were never really a consistent two-way team before or after the trade. They never ranked in the top 10 in both offense and defense at the same time and that’s primarily because they don’t have two-way players.

That cost them in the first round when JJ Redick couldn’t rely on Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent or pretty much anyone outside of his starting five. That’s not the case for the majority of the teams in this year’s playoffs.

If you observe the Thunder and Pacers in these Finals, they have a consistent rotation of at least eight or nine playable guys. That speaks to their depth and bench firepower, which is something the Lakers simply don’t have right now. An upgrade in this regard is a must and that will most likely have to be done through a trade.

Aggressive scorers and athletic wings

Another common theme that the Thunder and Pacers share is that they’re two of the fastest teams in the league that have mastered the ability to control the game’s pace and speed. It’s one of the reasons why these Finals have been a delight to watch.

These two teams have such high-powered, dynamic and organized offenses that they attack each other in a systemized and purposeful manner. Once again, this something the Lakers don’t have as they were one of the slowest teams in the playoffs this year.

Part of this is because the team revolves around two ball-dominant superstars who control the half court offense at their own pace, but that doesn’t have to always be the case if the offense is more dynamic and there are more options available. Enter the need for more aggressive ball handlers, scorers and athletic wings.

It’s obviously difficult to acquire someone like T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith or even an Aaron Wiggins type of player that easily. But it’s a must to look for the same archetype, particularly one that’s athletic, fast-footed and can score and defend at will.

Think someone like Naz Reid, who is expected to opt out of his contract this summer, or even PJ Washington, Bruce Brown, Caleb Martin, Keon Johnson. Basically, a role player whose presence alone impacts the team on both ends of the floor.

A vocal veteran leader

Lastly, they may be overlooked, but every championship contender has a veteran leader who has won a championship, whether they’re the 15th man on the bench or a role player. For OKC right now, that’s no other than our old friend Alex Caruso.

The Lakers, who ironically had a handful of them during the title year, haven’t had someone like this in a while until Markieff Morris came aboard.

A veteran leader who will be able to call out everyone on the team, including Luke and LeBron, would be ideal on a minimum deal. Someone who can bring championship experience to the table, instill that gritty and fierce attitude that this team could use and help build a winning culture from day one.

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There are a handful of the type of players that Pelinka will have to chase after this summer and the challenge for him is how he’s going to manage to do just that. He’s had success doing it in the past and, once again, the spotlight will be on him this offseason.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.