After making drastic changes to the Lakers' roster this offseason, general manager Rob Pelinka stressed that expectations will be high entering the 2019-20 season.
The most notable change comes with the addition of Anthony Davis, who the Lakers acquired in a trade with the Pelicans in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram. When free agency started, the Lakers were in the running to land Kawhi Leonard.
But when the NBA Finals MVP opted to sign with the cross-town rival Clippers, the Lakers filled out their roster by adding DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook and Avery Bradley. They also re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso and JaVale McGee.
With the upgraded roster, Pelinka said Friday the Lakers need to win a 2020 NBA title in order to consider the season successful.
"For us anything short of a championship is not success," he said on a conference call (via the Los Angeles Times).
Pelinka also revealed he relied on input from James and Davis to help make decisions on filling out the Lakers' roster.
"We view our relationships here with our star players as partnerships," Pelinka told reporters. "I know both Anthony and LeBron are excited about the 14 guys and how we’re going to come together. Both of their input has been incredibly valuable to me."
Pelinka's comments come just a couple months after the Lakers finished 10th in the Western Conference with a 37-45 record, missing the playoffs for the sixth season in a row.