The team played its home games at Staples Center as members of the Western Conference's Pacific Division.
The team dedicated the season to retired Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
There, they defeated the Miami Heat (LeBron James' former team) in six games to earn the franchise's 17th NBA championship.
The team finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.
[15] On June 15, 2019, the Lakers agreed to acquire six-time NBA All-Star power forward Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.
[16][15] In exchange for Davis, the Lakers gave up forward Brandon Ingram, guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, and three first-round picks (including De'Andre Hunter, the No.
[15] On June 27, the Washington Wizards joined the trade, obtaining Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones, and a 2022 second-round pick from the Lakers in exchange for cash considerations.
[30] Five days after the Lakers clinched their playoff berth, the NBA season was abruptly suspended by league officials [31] after it was reported that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19.
[33] When the season resumed, Avery Bradley declined to play because his oldest child had a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses.
[34] The Lakers replaced Bradley on the roster with J. R. Smith, who was James' teammate on the NBA championship-winning 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.
[41] In the NBA playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the eight-seed Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and won the series in five games.
[42][5] The Lakers' LeBron James was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the fourth time in his career.