2018–19 Los Angeles Lakers season
The 2018–19 Los Angeles Lakers season was the franchise's 71st season, its 70th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 59th in Los Angeles.
| 2018–19 Los Angeles Lakers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Luke Walton |
| General manager | Rob Pelinka |
| President | Jeanie Buss |
| Owners | Jerry Buss family trust (primary owner being Jeanie Buss as of March 27, 2017) |
| Arena | Staples Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 37–45 (.451) |
| Place | Division: 4th (Pacific) Conference: 10th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Spectrum SportsNet |
| Radio | ESPN LA 710 (English) • 1020 Radio AM (Spanish) |
Following the signing of NBA superstar and then 3-time champion LeBron James on July 1, 2018, the Lakers hoped to finish with a winning record and playoff appearance for the first time since the 2012–13 season. However, after an improved 20–14 start to the season, several injuries accumulated throughout the season including James, Rajon Rondo, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram, and the Lakers fell below .500 by the All-Star break. By March, the Lakers were eliminated from playoff contention, extending the team's postseason drought to a franchise record six seasons, and a sixth straight losing season, even after improving from their 2017–18 campaign by two games. It is the first time that James missed the playoffs since 2005 and first time he did not appear in the NBA Finals since 2010. This was the last time until 2022 that the Lakers missed the playoffs.
On April 9, the conclusion of the Lakers' season, Magic Johnson stepped down as president of basketball operations. Three days later, Luke Walton and the team agreed to part ways.
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School / Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Moritz Wagner | PF |  Germany |
Michigan |
| 2 | 39 | Isaac Bonga | SF | Germany |
Frankfurt Skyliners |
| 2 | 47 | Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk | SG |  Ukraine |
Kansas |
Roster
| 2018–19 Los Angeles Lakers roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Roster Notes
- Point guard Lonzo Ball played 47 games (his last game being on January 19, 2019) but missed the rest of the season due to a Grade 3 left ankle sprain.[2]
- Shooting guard Josh Hart played 67 games (his last game being on March 19, 2019) but missed the remainder of the season after having an ultrasonic debridement procedure on the patella tendon in his right knee.[3]
- Small forward Brandon Ingram played 52 games (his last game being on March 2, 2019) but missed the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a deep venous thrombosis in his right arm.[4] He underwent successful thoracic outlet decompression surgery on his right arm on March 16, 2019.[5]
Standings
Division
| Pacific Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c – Golden State Warriors | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 30–11 | 27–14 | 13–3 | 82 |
| x – Los Angeles Clippers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 26–15 | 22–19 | 11–5 | 82 |
| Sacramento Kings | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18.0 | 24–17 | 15–26 | 4–12 | 82 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 37 | 45 | .451 | 20.0 | 22–19 | 15–26 | 9–7 | 82 |
| Phoenix Suns | 19 | 63 | .232 | 38.0 | 12–29 | 7–34 | 3–13 | 82 |
Conference
| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Golden State Warriors * | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Denver Nuggets * | 54 | 28 | .659 | 3.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – Portland Trail Blazers | 53 | 29 | .646 | 4.0 | 82 |
| 4 | y – Houston Rockets * | 53 | 29 | .646 | 4.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Utah Jazz | 50 | 32 | .610 | 7.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Oklahoma City Thunder | 49 | 33 | .598 | 8.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – San Antonio Spurs | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Los Angeles Clippers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 9 | Sacramento Kings | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 10 | Los Angeles Lakers | 37 | 45 | .451 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 36 | 46 | .439 | 21.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Memphis Grizzlies | 33 | 49 | .402 | 24.0 | 82 |
| 13 | New Orleans Pelicans | 33 | 49 | .402 | 24.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Dallas Mavericks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 24.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Phoenix Suns | 19 | 63 | .232 | 38.0 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2018 preseason game log Total: 3–3 (Home: 2–3; Road: 1–0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 3–3 (home: 2–3; road: 1–0)
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| 2018–19 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
Player statistics
| Player | Pos. | GP | GS | MP | Reb. | Ast. | Stl. | Blk. | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lonzo Ball | PG | 47 | 45 | 1,423 | 251 | 255 | 69 | 19 | 465 |
| Michael Beasley† | PF | 26 | 2 | 277 | 60 | 25 | 9 | 10 | 181 |
| Isaac Bonga | PG | 22 | 0 | 120 | 25 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 19 |
| Reggie Bullock≠ | SG | 19 | 16 | 524 | 50 | 20 | 16 | 7 | 177 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | SG | 82 | 23 | 2,035 | 238 | 110 | 73 | 13 | 938 |
| Alex Caruso | PG | 25 | 4 | 531 | 67 | 77 | 24 | 9 | 229 |
| Tyson Chandler≠ | C | 48 | 6 | 786 | 268 | 31 | 19 | 22 | 147 |
| Josh Hart | SG | 67 | 22 | 1,715 | 248 | 93 | 64 | 40 | 525 |
| Andre Ingram≠ | SG | 4 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Ingram | SF | 52 | 52 | 1,760 | 267 | 154 | 28 | 31 | 950 |
| LeBron James | SF | 55 | 55 | 1,937 | 465 | 454 | 72 | 33 | 1,505 |
| Jemerrio Jones≠ | SF | 6 | 2 | 143 | 49 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 27 |
| Kyle Kuzma | PF | 70 | 68 | 2,314 | 382 | 178 | 41 | 26 | 1,308 |
| Scott Machado≠ | PG | 4 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| JaVale McGee | C | 75 | 62 | 1,671 | 566 | 52 | 47 | 148 | 897 |
| Mike Muscala≠ | PF | 17 | 4 | 265 | 44 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 100 |
| Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk† | SF | 39 | 0 | 420 | 34 | 33 | 13 | 1 | 127 |
| Rajon Rondo | PG | 46 | 29 | 1,369 | 243 | 367 | 57 | 7 | 424 |
| Lance Stephenson | SG | 68 | 3 | 1,123 | 215 | 140 | 41 | 7 | 491 |
| Moritz Wagner | C | 43 | 5 | 446 | 85 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 207 |
| Johnathan Williams | C | 24 | 0 | 372 | 99 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 157 |
| Ivica Zubac† | C | 33 | 12 | 516 | 162 | 25 | 4 | 27 | 281 |
After all games.[6]
‡Waived during the season
†Traded during the season
≠Acquired during the season
Transactions
Signing of LeBron James
On July 9, 2018, superstar LeBron James signed a four-year, $154 million contract with the Lakers after playing a second stint with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. He led the team to their first championship title in 2016, and led them to the NBA Finals 4 other times (2007, 2015, 2017, and 2018). This marked his second time leaving the Cavs, after controversially doing so in 2010 to join the Miami Heat, where he led the team to 4 consecutive NBA Finals appearances, winning back-to-back in 2012 and 2013. The signing also briefly intensified the Celtics–Lakers rivalry, as his former Cavs teammate Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics the year before and when former Celtics star Rajon Rondo joined LeBron in Los Angeles. Irving played 2 seasons for the Celtics before signing with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2019 offseason.
Trades
| July 6, 2018[7] | To Los Angeles Lakers Draft rights to Isaac Bonga |
To Philadelphia 76ers 2019 second round pick Cash considerations |
| February 6, 2019[8] | To Los Angeles Lakers Reggie Bullock |
To Detroit Pistons Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk 2021 second round pick |
| February 7, 2019[9] | To Los Angeles Lakers Mike Muscala |
To Los Angeles Clippers Michael Beasley Ivica Zubac |
Re-signed
| Player | Signed |
|---|---|
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope[10] | 1-year contract worth $12 million |
| Alex Caruso | Two-way contract |
Additions
| Player | Signed | Former team |
|---|---|---|
| Rajon Rondo[11] | 1-year contract worth $9 million | New Orleans Pelicans |
| LeBron James[12] | 4-year contract worth $156 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Lance Stephenson[13] | 1-year contract worth $4.5 million | Indiana Pacers |
| JaVale McGee[14] | 1-year contract worth $2.4 million | Golden State Warriors |
| Michael Beasley[15] | 1-year contract worth $3.5 million | New York Knicks |
| Johnathan Williams[16] | Two-way contract | Gonzaga Bulldogs |
| Tyson Chandler[17] | 1-year contract worth $2.1 million | Phoenix Suns |
Subtractions
| Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Ennis[18] | Waived |  Fenerbahçe |
| Thomas Bryant[19] | Waived | Washington Wizards |
| Julius Randle[20] | 2-year contract worth $18 million | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Isaiah Thomas[21] | 1-year contract worth $2 million | Denver Nuggets |
| Brook Lopez[22] | 1-year contract worth $3.3 million | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Channing Frye[23] | 1-year contract worth $2.4 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Luol Deng[24] | Waived | Minnesota Timberwolves |
References
- "2018 NBA Draft order: See where your favorite team will be picking in this year's draft". CBSSports.com.
- Jenna West (March 9, 2019). "Report: Lakers Shut Down Lonzo Ball for the Season With Ankle Injury". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- Tania Ganguli (March 28, 2019). "Lakers' Josh Hart to miss rest of season after procedure on right knee". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- Greg Beacham (March 9, 2019). "Brandon Ingram to miss rest of season with deep venous thombosis in arm". NBA.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- Tim Daniels (March 16, 2019). "Lakers News: Brandon Ingram Undergoes Successful Surgery on Shoulder Blood Clot". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
- "2018-19 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Regular season Stats". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- "Lakers Acquire Isaac Bonga in Trade with Philadelphia". NBA.com. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- "Lakers Acquire Reggie Bullock". NBA.com. February 6, 2019.
- "Lakers Acquire Mike Muscala". NBA.com. February 7, 2019.
- "Lakers Re-Sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope". NBA.com/lakers. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- "Lakers Sign Rajon Rondo". NBA.com/lakers. July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- "Lakers Sign LeBron James". NBA.com/lakers. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- "Lakers Sign Lance Stephenson". NBA.com/lakers. July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- "Lakers Sign JaVale McGee". NBA.com/lakers. July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- "Lakers Sign Michael Beasley". NBA.com/lakers. July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- "Lakers Sign Johnathan Williams to Two-Way Contract; Waive Travis Wear". NBA.com/lakers. October 19, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- "Lakers Sign Tyson Chandler". NBA.com/lakers. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- "Lakers Waive Tyler Ennis". NBA.com/lakers. June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
- "Lakers Waive Thomas Bryant". NBA.com/lakers. June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
- "Pelicans sign free agents Elfrid Payton and Julius Randle". NBA.com/pelicans. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- "Denver Nuggets Sign Veteran Guard Isaiah Thomas". NBA.com/nuggets. July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- "Milwaukee Bucks Sign Brook Lopez". NBA.com/bucks. July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- "Cavaliers Sign Channing Frye". NBA.com/cavaliers. July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- "Lakers Waive Luol Deng". NBA.com/lakers. September 1, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
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