While it's hard to fully discount the Los Angeles Lakers as contenders with Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves on the roster, let's be real: The Lakers aren't winning a championship this season. The roster around Dončić in particular simply is not strong enough. The Lakers need more size and athleticism on the wing and a real rim-runner in the frontcourt. Until Rob Pelinka and the front office fully commit to rebuilding this team with Dončić in mind, the Lakers will lag behind the West's upper echelon.
This offseason presents the Lakers with their best opportunity yet to move the needle in a positive direction. Dončić will need to uphold his end of the bargain, and there's always pressure on this front office to actually recognize the proper vision and execute it. But, if L.A. achieves its summer goals, the Lakers will be far more threatening for the 2026-27 campaign. The team can clear up to $47 million in cap space this offseason, per The Athletic.
Lakers need to extend Austin Reaves and bid farewell to LeBron James
We can wrap these together. The Lakers have several free agents with whom a reunion makes sense: Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, even Deandre Ayton. This sounds moderately sacrilegious, but LeBron isn't one of them. That's not to say James is no longer a quality player; he unequivocally is. The disconnect between James and the Lakers front office has grown exponentially since last season, however, and it's clear L.A. is ready to build around Dončić as its new centerpiece, which means bumping James and his ego down the priority list.
All signs point to LeBron either retiring or signing elsewhere in free agency. (The smart money is on Cleveland, duh.) The Lakers could try to rope him back in for another run, perhaps on a more modest contract and with a lesser share of the spotlight, but c'mon: That does not sound like LeBron. If he's going to take a backseat and embark on a retirement tour, he will want A) a clear path to the Finals and B) a more meaningful situation. Again, Cleveland stands out.
The Lakers can balance their roster by letting James walk and replacing him, ideally, with a collective of 3-and-D wings who can play with physicality and capitalize on Dončić's frequent setups. It also makes it that much easier to extend Reaves, whose $14.9 million player option is a mere formality at this point.
Not only will James' departure free up significant money, but it leaves more oxygen in the offense for Reaves. Luka went to the Finals in 2024 with Kyrie Irving as his backcourt running mate. Irving and Reaves are a very similar archetype — elite shooters with unbelievable on-ball skills and vision. Reaves can continue to run the second unit as a platoon point guard while also bombing spot-up 3s, punishing closeouts and fully coming into his own as second banana for the Lakers.
Lakers can sign Kelly Oubre Jr.
It shouldn't take much to sign Kelly Oubre Jr., who profiles as one of the better value adds in the upcoming free agent class. There was a time not so long ago when Oubre would've felt like the worst possible wing to pair next to Dončić; he was too erratic a decision-maker, too bullish on his own abilities. But Oubre has really come into his own over the past couple years in Philadelphia, refining his shot profile and leaning into his strengths as an athletic, brick-wall defender who can hit spot-up 3s, punish closeouts and deploy his physicality on finishes at the rim.
Oubre is converting on a career-high 37.2 percent of his 3s this season, up to 38.6 percent on catch-and-shoots. He handles a variety of assignments on defense, suffocating the point of attack and shutting off lanes to the rim. He rebounds decently for his position. Oubre checks every box as far as L.A.'s needs on the wing.
The 30-year-old has smartly refocused his approach, cutting out inefficient long 2s in favor of clean spot-up 3s or deliberate drives to the rim. He's taking on a more analytical shot diet and he's a genuine force for good in the Sixers locker room. His constant energy, while be able to strike the right balance between cockiness and restraint, would really help the Lakers on the mid-level exception (or less).
Lakers can sign Mitchell Robinson
The Deandre Ayton experience has, predictably, turned sour for the Lakers. He's shooting with bonkers efficiency from the mid-range. He's a great rebounder, and there are still moments where he feels like the most dominant force on earth. The talent has never really been the problem for Ayton, though. It's all about process, and his unwillingness to embrace the rim-running, lob-catching specialist role of Dončić's past running mates is generating negative headlines.
Ayton has an $8.1 million player option for next season. Whether he accepts it is probably a coin flip at this point. He'd love to make equal or more money elsewhere, but it's unclear if any team is willing to pay him that much given all the inherent baggage. Plus, this mystical focal-point role Ayton is daydreaming of probably does not exist.
All of that is to say, the Lakers need to look at Mitchell Robinson in free agency. The springy 27-year-old is due for a nice raise over his current $12.9 million salary, but Dončić dramatically increases the value of centers in Robinson's mold. He offers one of the widest catch radiuses in the NBA — melding nuclear bounce with track-and-field agility and a 7-foot-4 wingspan.
Robinson is a premium vertical spacer. He sprints out in transition, rolls hard off of screens and does all the small things L.A. wishes Ayton would do. Even if the latter picks up his option, the Lakers should target Robinson and stick him in the starting lineup as the Lakers' version of Derrick Lively or Daniel Gafford.
Lakers can sign Tari Eason
Tari Eason is a restricted free agent, which stacks the odds against Los Angeles out of the gate. Re-signing Reaves, outbidding Houston for Eason and signing Robinson away from New York — plus Oubre on the mid-level exception, to boot — would require a lot of maneuvering and a fair amount of luck. Still, the Lakers shouldn't pinch pennies with Dončić in his prime, and Eason would do a lot of good for this L.A. team.
Los Angeles needs to buttress Dončić with high-level defenders who can do enough on offense to stay on the floor in May and June. Eason is on the shortlist of today's great wing defenders. At 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds, Eason's motor runs scorching-hot; he can mirror guards on the perimeter, muck up passing lanes, protect the rim as a helper. A little bit of everything. He would immediately elevate the Lakers' floor.
What has made Eason so impactful this season, however, is the sudden spike in volume (4.7 attempets per game) and efficiency (40.6 percent) from 3-point range. Eason camps out in the corners and is almost automatic. He's limited in his ability to handle or create, but Eason can beat a closeout, process the floor and deliver a sharp connective pass. The Lakers won't need him to carry a huge load offensively, though: If he can mow down corner 3s, clean up the offensive glass and defend up to his usual standards, Eason immediately becomes the third-most important member of these (hypothetical) new-look Lakers.
Comparing ideal Lakers lineup to 2024 Mavs
2023-24 Dallas Mavericks | Dream 2026-27 Lakers |
|---|---|
PG) Luka Dončić | PG) Luka Dončić |
SG) Kyrie Irving | SG) Austin Reaves |
SF) Derrick Jones Jr. | SF) Jake LaRavia |
PF) P.J. Washington | PF) Tari Eason |
C) Daniel Gafford | C) Mitchell Robinson |
Key Reserve: Derrick Lively II | Key Reserve: Kelly Oubre Jr. |
Key Reserve: Josh Green | Key Reserve: Deandre Ayton |
Key Reserve: Maxi Kleber | Key Reserve: Marcus Smart |
This lineup, in theory, has the necessary rim protection, athleticism and versatility to support the offensive supernova that is a Luka Dončić-Austin Reaves backcourt. The 2023-24 Mavericks were special because the entire roster was attuned to Dončić's heliocentrism. Dallas knew Dončić was going to carry them, so it built the roster to allow him to do just that. Los Angeles can — and should — follow the blueprint.
Los Angeles will also have its first-round pick and other avenues to supplement the roster, but if these five moves all transpire, I'd say the Lakers' offseason becomes an immediate and resounding success. This hypothetical team has the shape of a true-blue contender.