A lot has been made of the Los Angeles Lakers' offseason acquisitions prior to the 2021-22 season. It's more about the age of those summer signings than anything else.
Will that experience come in handy when it matters the most or will it wreak havoc with injuries and load management? Only time will tell.
Either way, those offseason additions make the Lakers the oldest team entering the league's 75th anniversary season with an average age of 30.0. Once rotations begin to shake out and we see who is actually piling up minutes, we'll be able to gauge how the Lakers stack up historically. Depending on who plays and stays healthy, the Lakers could even threaten to set an all-time record.
When accounting for minutes, the oldest teams in NBA history are the 2000-01 Jazz and 1997-98 Rockets, which finished with an average age of 32.0
The Lakers have three of the league's five oldest players and six of the league's 12 oldest. How much Carmelo Anthony (37 years old), Trevor Ariza (36), Dwight Howard (35), and Rajon Rondo (35) play — in addition to soon-to-be 37-year-old LeBron James — will ultimately determine where the Lakers land on the list of all-time oldest teams.
MORE: Lakers projected starting lineup
Trailing them in second by a sizeable margin, are championship contenders the Brooklyn Nets, who are tied with last season's top seed the Utah Jazz with an average of 28.1.
Average age of 2021-22 roster (via Real GM)
Team | Average Age |
Los Angeles Lakers | 30.0 |
Brooklyn Nets | 28.1 |
Utah Jazz | 28.1 |
Miami Heat | 27.9 |
Phoenix Suns | 27.7 |
Golden State Warriors | 27.7 |
Milwaukee Bucks | 27.3 |
LA Clippers | 27.0 |
Portland Trail Blazers | 27.0 |
Indiana Pacers | 26.6 |
Denver Nuggets | 26.5 |
Atlanta Hawks | 26.5 |
Dallas Mavericks | 26.3 |
LEAGUE AVERAGE | 26.1 |
New York Knicks | 26.1 |
Boston Celtics | 25.9 |
Philadelphia 76ers | 25.8 |
Sacramento Kings | 25.5 |
San Antonio Spurs | 25.5 |
Washington Wizards | 25.4 |
Toronto Raptors | 25.2 |
Chicago Bulls | 25.2 |
Orlando Magic | 25.2 |
Houston Rockets | 25.2 |
New Orleans Pelicans | 25.0 |
Charlotte Hornets | 24.9 |
Detroit Pistons | 24.8 |
Minnesota Timberwolves | 24.3 |
Memphis Grizzlies | 24.2 |
Oklahoma City Thunder | 24.1 |
No surprises for guessing the teams at the bottom of the table.
Rebuilding franchise the Oklahoma City Thunder are the youngest team in the league, holding a slim lead over the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves.