This is where the Lakers land in the ESPN power rankings

The Lakers haven't made many moves during the current offseason. Their most notable move was to sign LeBron James to a two-year extension, which means that they'll keep their first player for a couple more years. Besides James' deal, the Lakers have been really quiet, only making an offer to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving. The Lakers still look like a below-average team and that's why ESPN have them falling to the 17th spot.

"The Lakers hired highly regarded Darvin Ham as coach and wisely prioritized youth in free agency, filling out their bench by signing Troy Brown Jr., Thomas Bryant, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Lonnie Walker IV. After signing LeBron James to a two-year extension, can they now find a way to trade Russell Westbrook for Kyrie Irving? If not, Ham's biggest challenge will be figuring out how Westbrook fits" explained ESPN's, Kevin Pelton.

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Right now, finishing 17th in the NBA won't be the worst thing for the Lakers, as the best 20 teams during the regular season get a chance to play in the playoffs. This would make the Lakers barely enter the next round as the eighth or ninth seeded in the West. This would mean a three-place improvement, in the best case scenario, from last season. Of course, there are still some unresolved issues with the Lakers that could make them drop or rise in the next power rankings.

Last season, the Lakers finished just two games shy of entering the play in round. It's very likely to see them fighting for the same spot in the upcoming campaign. However, all Lakers fans are hoping that the team can make a move before the season starts that will make them a contender for the championship. For now, they have to start preparing for the training camp with their current roster, Russell Westbrook included.

Projected wins for the Lakers

According to the NBA analysts from ESPN, the Los Angeles Lakers will finish the 2022-23 season with a record of 42 wins and 40 losses. That would be a nine-win improvement from last season and would be enough to qualify for the postseason. Once in the playoffs, every team has a chance to make a deep run.