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Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder could be a Lakers free-agent target.

It’s been 22 years since Hall of Fame Lakers great James Worthy wrapped up his 12-year career with the Showtime gang, and since then, he has watched more Lakers basketball as a fan and analyst than he ever played. He has developed a reputation for pulling no punches on his former team and though he clearly is a purple-and-gold backer, he is also a sometimes harsh critic.

And as he watched the latest iteration of the Lakers unfold this past season, he saw some promise and some entertaining storylines. But he also saw–rightly, it turned out–a team that could be overmatched against the best in the West. Sure, the Lakers did not have Luka Doncic, but they would not have had much chance in changing their fortunes against the Thunder team that finished off their sweep of the Lakers this week even with a full roster.

The Lakers did win 52 games under second-year coach JJ Redick, the first time they’ve had back-to-back 50-win seasons since Phil Jackson was prowling the sidelines in 2011. That’s nice, and it was an entertaining bunch when healthy, but Worthy made his feelings on this team clear.

James Worthy Doesn’t Think Lakers Were ‘Championship Quality’

Speaking on “The Dan Patrick Show” this week, Worthy said he never gave into the delusion that this Lakers team was championship-caliber.

Said Worthy: “When you look at the makeup of the team, I didn’t see championship quality. Ever. I saw a team that could compete, but when you look at San Antonio, Oklahoma, Detroit, some of the other teams, the Lakers just had not arrived there yet. There were still some missing pieces, some development that needed to take place.”

The Lakers were fourth in the West, and to their credit, they upended the favored Rockets even without Doncic and without Austin Reaves until Game 5 of what was a six-game series. The top two teams, the Thunder and Spurs, are on an upward trajectory, and it could  be argued that the Rocket are, too. While the No. 3-seed Nuggets are probably going to regress, the impressive Timberwolves keep getting better, too.”

Lakers Must Make Changes, Starting With Deandre Ayton?

That’s why Worthy says the Lakers can’t rest on any laurels.

“I think they definitely need to make some changes. I don’t think you could run it back with the same Western Conference teams that are gonna get stronger. Minnesota is gonna get stronger,” he said.

In the Lakers’ exit interviews with GM Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick, the pair made it clear they’d be happy to come back with Doncic, Reaves and James again.

James Worthy: Dump Deandre Ayton, Add Isaiah Hartenstein

Worthy said the Lakers could do that, but only with the stars. The rest of the roster needs an overhaul. He wants to see the Lakers swap out center Deandre Ayton for a player along the line of the Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein–who is a free agent and in the Lakers’ price range. Hartenstein averaged 9.2 points and 9.4 rebounds in 24.2 minutes this year.

Worthy continued: “I think one of the things that was lacking was in the center position. I think Ayton is a great player, but I don’t know if, consistently. What we need or what a team needs, is a Hartenstein like Oklahoma, not necessarily a star, but you need a bruiser, you need somebody that’s consistent. I think the Lakers will be looking at that area.”