The Los Angeles Lakers are done with the 2025-26 NBA season as theirs ended on Monday night at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in a predictable sweep against the reigning champions. General manager Rob Pelinka built arguably his best roster since the championship core around Luka Doncic, but they were still a clear tier below the top teams.
L.A. now has a massive offseason ahead that includes upwards of 11 free agents and nearly $50 million in available cap space. Pelinka, in his postseason exit interview, reflected on the 2025-26 campaign and how he is going to use it to shape the seasons to come.
“A lot to be proud of in terms of back-to-back 50-win seasons, but certainly nothing that we’re satisfied about,” Pelinka said at his annual end-of-season press conference. “This is a market with championship expectations, and now begins the process for leadership here — JJ and myself — to deconstruct the things in the season that went well and then to look at the parts of the season that we can elevate and bring to the next level.
“We’re going to be incredibly process-oriented about that, working closely with the front office staff upstairs, the coaching staff, to deliver a product and a roster next season that our Lakers fans can be incredibly excited about and honored by. That work begins now for our partnership now that JJ’s head shifts from trying to beat a team to preparing for the offseason. Of course, myself, the amazing people that work upstairs, this is something we’ve been working on for months and are excited now to present that and collaborate with coach Redick and his staff.”
The first order of business for Pelinka, as he says, will be flying to Chicago to be at the NBA Draft Combine immediately following the exit interview. The Lakers hold the No. 25 pick in the NBA Draft, and can use it to either take a chance on a young and cheap talent, or trade it for a more proven veteran.
In his review of the 2025-26 season, Pelinka very accurately sums up the feelings of many fans. There is a sense of pride that the team improved from last season and faced significant adversity with Doncic’s injury to still make it to the second round.
However, fans want results beyond a second round exit. They want to be competing with the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs for years to come, not accepting defeat to them at the end of the season. It’s Pelinka’s job to try and lift the roster into a tier that is competitive with the league’s elite.
Rob Pelinka, LeBron James share mutual interest in contract
One of the Lakers’ potential 11 free agents is LeBron James, the 41-year-old superstar who improbably still manages to be a high-impact player. He has decisions to make about his own personal future, but Pelinka would be excited to bring James back if that’s what he wanted.
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