This is an extremely important offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers as they look to take another step towards championship contention and build the roster around superstar guard Luka Doncic. The Lakers have a ton of means to do so as well with a lot of salary cap space and their first-round pick this year.
But the team also has the means to swing some trades this offseason as they are armed with up to three first-round draft picks. And according to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic, they are expected to be aggressive in the trade market this summer:
Team and league sources have said they expect the Lakers to be aggressive on the trade market. The franchise can move its 2031 and 2033 first-round picks in addition to the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Lakers have expressed interest in New Orleans wings Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones in the past, though New Orleans has yet to signal whether either is truly available.
Wings such as Murphy or Jones are the types of players the Lakers could use and, since there aren’t too many of that caliber on the free agent market, a trade could be the way to go. With the Lakers not having much in the way of young talent that would be attractive to other teams, those future first-round picks would need to be included in any potential trade and Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office will have to figure out the best moves to make.
Adding true two-way wings and a rim-running center who pairs well with Doncic are the main needs for this Lakers team. Point-of-attack defense was an issue and even if veteran Marcus Smart returns next season, the team still needs others who can defend at a high level, as well as more shooting. Improving the center position will also be looked at as Deandre Ayton wasn’t the ideal fit, even though he had some good moments throughout the year as well.
Whether it is free agency, draft or trades, the Lakers front office understands that improving the roster is a must this summer, as they can not afford to waste the prime of Doncic.
Lakers interested in retaining Marcus Smart this offseason
Smart was one of the Lakers’ most important role players this season and the guard can opt out of his contract this summer as he has a player option for $5.39 million next year. Should he do that and hit free agency, the Lakers are reportedly interested in bringing him back.
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