Just two seasons ago, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were on top of the world, whereas Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors hit rock-bottom. Now the roles have been reversed between these two California rivals, and there’s nothing more that LeBron wants than to take the Lake Show back to the promised land after a dysfunctional 2021-22 campaign. What are the King’s latest demands in order to bring the NBA title back to LA?

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out some timely assists to our bettors all throughout the 2022 NBA offseason and beyond. This time, find out whether or not LeBron James and the Lakers have what it takes to usurp Stephen Curry and the Warriors given the Lakers’ latest offseason moves, as well as their corresponding odds to win the 2022-23 NBA championship.

Can LeBron James and the Lakers Overthrow Stephen Curry and the Warriors?

In the middle of action ????#LakersSummer pic.twitter.com/A2bHpEUARv

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 5, 2022

Second Chance in LA for Bryant, Jones

No, we are not talking about past Laker players in the late, great Kobe Bryant or even former All-Star swingman, Eddie Jones. Rather, the Lakers are giving two young prospects that they’ve had their eyes on in the recent past another shot on the roster.

Center Thomas Bryant was initially drafted by the Utah Jazz and was immediately sent in a post-draft trade package to Los Angeles back in 2017. However, after just one season, the Lakers decided to ship the big man out of Indiana to Washington, where Bryant started to blossom as a Wizard. Unfortunately, a torn ACL in January 2021 derailed his momentum. Last season, he averaged 7.4 points and four rebounds per game in the 27 games played (nine starts) since his return from that serious injury.

Another former yet brief Lake Show member rejoining the fold is Damian Jones, who signed two separate 10-day contracts with the Lakers in 2021. Jones joins Bryant as a pair of serviceable backup centers behind starter Anthony Davis, with the former averaging 8.1 points in 18.2 minutes of action across 56 games played for the Sacramento Kings last season.

Pippen Ain’t Easy Because Russ is Still All the Fuss

Harnessing the powers of past NBA legends, the Lakers also signed undrafted rookie Scottie Pippen Jr.; son of the Hall-of-Famer by the same name. Pippen was signed to a two-way deal that would send the 21-year-old to the team’s G-League squad before getting his reps in as a bona fide Laker.

All things considered, the Lakers made meticulous signings this offseason, with not a lot of proven talents and rather younger prospects that could reap rewards at a slower pace. That being said, there still remains the elephant in the room in former league MVP Russell Westbrook, whom many fans and experts attribute to Los Angeles’ downfall last season.

Westbrook averaged under 20 points per game for the first time since his second year in the NBA back in 2010 whilst also shooting an abysmal 29.8 percent from three-point range, constantly displaying how bad of a fit he was in the Lakers’ roster. Unfortunately, it appears as though Westbrook will be back next season, with Los Angeles still tied up to Russ’ huge contract and needing a desparate trade partner if they wish to part with the struggling superstar; albeit with the nine-time All-Star’s stock on the market at an all-time low right now.

Updated Lakers NBA Futures Odds

As of this writing, the Lakers are (+1,000) favorites to win the 2022-23 NBA title; the sixth-best odds amongst all 30 teams to date. Meanwhile, the Warriors have the fourth-best odds to repeat as champs at (+600). The defending Eastern Conference champions, the Boston Celtics, are the current front-runners to win the Larry O’Brien trophy next year at (+550), which is the same odds as another Western Conference powerhouse in Phoenix Suns.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NBA game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.

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