Are the Lakers too old to be championship contenders — or is L.A.’s new roster the right recipe of veterans to win it all?

When the free agency window opened on Aug. 2 at 6 p.m., LeBron James and the Lakers went on a shopping spree and added eight free agents in less than two days.

They retooled the roster yet again, acquiring a string of seasoned stars, including Russell Westbrook, 32; Trevor Ariza, 36; Wayne Ellington, 33; Kent Bazemore, 32; and future Hall of Famers in Dwight Howard, 35, and 37-year-old Carmelo Anthony. The Lakers now have two of the top 10 scorers in NBA history in Anthony and James. 

The new acquisitions have sparked questions (and some elderly jokes on social media) about whether or not this Lakers squad can keep up with Father Time. Potential injuries stacking up could also be a factor for the Lakers this season due to the decades of experience in their ranging roster.

With 12 players currently on their roster, six are 35 or older, making the Lakers the oldest team in the league. Los Angeles currently sits at an average age of 31 — with their oldest player as of now being Anthony, followed by James, 36. Howard turns 36 in Dec.

The Lakers did, however, sign three players in their 20s on Tuesday, making the roster more well-rounded. Talen Horton Tucker, 20, agreed to a three-year, $32M deal to return to L.A., which also signed guards Malik Monk, 23, (Hornets) and Kendrick Nunn (Heat), who turned 26 on Aug. 3.

Defense is another factor for this retooled roster.

The Lakers were a top-five defense each of the last two years. Now, they essentially have to start from scratch to develop that defensive-minded championship team that won the Larry O’Brien trophy in the 2020 NBA Bubble.

Melo flourished in his bench role in Portland last season, scoring 13 points per game and a career-best 40.9% beyond the arc. The 18-year NBA veteran can space the floor and is a solid spot-up shooter for L.A., but his defensive abilities have declined with age.

Davis fills a lot of defensive gaps for L.A., but recent injuries have slowed him down. — That’s where Howard could shine and serve as a solid understudy for Davis, as he did in Philadelphia to Sixers big man Joel Embiid.

The makeover marks the third time in James’ four-year Lakers career that the roster has been flushed. Clearly, the Lakers are in win-now mode and trying to capitalize on their James-led era.

Is this Lakers experiment finally the right concoction to deliver a second championship under James’ watch?

Time will tell.