To some, 2025-2026 was a successful season for the Los Angeles Lakers, but not so much. One prevailing thought heading into the offseason is that the Lakers are unlikely to “run it back” with the same roster next season.
Major Changes Ahead For The Lakers
“The Lakers’ 2025-26 season, in most measurable ways, was an unquestioned success,” Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic said. “Despite some bad injury luck, the team exceeded its preseason win-total projections for the second straight year. They continued building an identity of toughness and resiliency under [JJ] Redick. And yet, according to team and league sources, running it back with a mostly similar roster isn’t a palatable option.”
Los Angeles finished fourth in the West, posting a 53-29 record and reaching the Conference quarterfinals. The Lakers’ 64.6% winning percentage is their best this decade and the second-best since 2010-11, behind only the 2019-20 campaign, when they went 52-19 (73.2%). Their playoff series win over Houston was their first under Redick and the first time they had advanced past the opening round in three years.
But the Lakers, who believed they were a championship-caliber team after acquiring Luka Doncic at the 2025 trade deadline, finished 11 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and nine games back of the San Antonio Spurs. Moreover, the Lakers went a combined 1-10 against the Spurs and Thunder. They lost all seven games to the Thunder, including being swept in the Western Conference semis and being outscored by 64 points, with five of those setbacks being by at least 18 points.
Granted, injuries took their toll on the Lakers. Doncic didn’t play after injuring his hamstring on April 2, and Austin Reaves only played 57 games, including six of 11 playoff contests. Also, the Lakers had the worst bench in the league.
On the plus side, Doncic had an NBA MVP-type season, and LeBron James didn’t show signs of slowing down at the age of 41. Reaves showed tremendous growth in the regular season, though the 27-year-old struggled in the playoffs. Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard and Deandre Ayton stepped up their production in the playoffs. Bronny James showed steady improvement throughout the season.
“A lot to be proud of in terms of back-to-back 50-win seasons, but certainly nothing that we’re satisfied about,” Lakers director of basketball operations and general manager Rob 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.
What do the Lakers Need to Become a Real Title Contender?
First, LA has a lot of soul-searching and roster-building to do. While the Lakers finished the year 22 games above .500, including the playoffs, they were just 28-31 against teams with at least a .500 record, getting outscored by 4.5 points per game. They were even worse against the 2026 playoff teams in general and the Western Conference’s top-8 squads.
Defense is the first thing that the Lakers need to fix. The Lakers finished the season ranked 20th in defensive efficiency and were totally shredded by the Thunder in their Conference semis series. The Lakers allowed nearly 120 points per game to the Thunder on 53.4% shooting from the field and 13.8 threes at a 40.7% clip during the series. Turnovers, offensive rebounding, rim-protection, and depth are their other weaknesses. Additionally, the Lakers need to get younger, as they were the seventh-oldest team in the league.
The Lakers have 10 players under contract for 2026-27 with a salary cap hit of $109 million. However, only six of the 10 players are guaranteed to return, unless traded, as three players hold players’ options and one holds a team option for next season.
Reaves, one of the trio of players who hold player options, is expected to opt out unless the Lakers can agree on an extension. Ayton ($8.104 million) and Marcus Smart ($5.39 million) have player options and are likely to opt in. Meanwhile, Nick Smith Jr. ($2.47 million) has a team option.
James, Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes are unrestricted free agents.
Major Changes Ahead For The Lakers: What roster moves could be made?
Let’s assume Ayton and Smart opt into their player contracts and Reaves opt out. Thus, leaving the Lakers with eight players with a salary cap hit of around $90 million. Therefore, the Lakers would have about $97 million of salary cap space. They have the No. 25 draft pick in this year’s draft.
Re-signing Reaves is the Lakers’ top priority this summer. Reaves is eligible for a max five-year, $241 million extension ($41.5 million in 2026-27). But that seems unlikely as the 27-year-old has not proven he is a prime-time player in the playoffs. Last summer, Lakers Insider Jovan Buha predicted that Reaves would get between $30-$35 million per year from the Lakers.
“I think he’s more like a $30 to $35 million per year player.” “If you look at some of the guys in that range, guys like Immanuel Quickley and Tyler Herro, I think Austin is easily in that class, and better than a lot of the guys in the $30 to $32 million range,” Buha said. People around the league are penciling him in to make $30-plus million [next] summer, whether it’s with the Lakers or someone else. I expect it to be with the Lakers. I expect him to re-sign on a multi-year deal, and I think that’s the shrewd move from LA’s part. He wants to be a Laker. He wants to be a Laker for life.”
Let’s assume Reaves gets $35 million next season. That puts the Lakers’ salary cap hit for nine players at $125 million.
Rui Hachimura No. 2 Priority?
Keeping Hachimura should be the Lakers’ next priority. Hachimura has developed into one of the league’s top 3-point marksmen since joining the Lakers. The 28-year-old forward has knocked down 1.5 threes a game at a 41.5% clip in his four seasons with the Lakers.
Hachimura has performed well in the playoffs with the Lakers. Hachimura increased his offensive production this past postseason, averaging 17.5 points a game in 10 appearances while making 33 of 58 treys, setting a franchise record for three-point percentage at 56.9%. He scored double-figures in all 10 contests, topping the 20-point mark four times.
“Incredibly proud of what Rui accomplished for us in the playoffs, and what he’s done also in the playoffs before this year. … His overall professionalism and his approach, his mindset approach. From the time I traded for him when he came from the Wizards, Rui has gotten incredibly comfortable here, … and what I’ve seen in that [is] once Rui gets to a point of trust and comfort, then he grows exponentially with his production on the court.
Assuming that Hachimura trips with the Lakers for $22.5 million, that gives a cap hit of $147.5 million for 10 players.
Get a Defensive-Minded Wing: Priority No. 3
LA needs to add a perimeter defensive-oriented wing, whether through trade or free agency. This player should be capable of complementing Marcus Smart on that end.
Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks is the ideal target for the Lakers, but they will have to trade for him. Brooks, who had a terrific playoff run and his best scoring campaign, will be on an expiring contract this year.
LA could theoretically absorb Brooks’ salary with their cap space, and he has been linked to the Lakers. Eli Gregorski of Heavy.com proposed a trade between the Suns and Lakers that would send Brooks to LA for Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, and the No. 25 pick in this year’s draft.
Why the framework of that deal would work, not sure the Suns would be too enthusiastic. A more realistic trade would be LaRavia or Knecht, along with Thiero, the No. 25 pick, and a future first-round selection.
Dallas’ Naji Marshall is another player linked to the Lakers. Marshall is one of the preeminent wing defenders in the Association and has averaged double-figures the past two seasons, including a career-best 15.1 points this past year. Marshall would be an easier trade for the Lakers. Knecht and Thiero, plus the No. 25 pick in this year’s draft, should satisfy the Mavericks for Marshall, who is on an expiring contract that pays him less than $10 million.
Keon Ellis, Quentin Grimes, and Peyton Watson are potential free agent options. Ellis projects to be the most attainable, as he is a little smaller and not the offensive threat the other two are, particularly if the Lakers can add either Marshall or Brooks. Watson is a restricted free agent.
Add A Rim-Protecting Big: Priority No. 4
LA needs a rim-protecting big man. While Walker Kessler, who is projected to be a restricted free agent, and Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen appear to be out of the Lakers’ price range. Either as a trade or signing Kessler as a free agent, with the Jazz being able to match. However, given the Lakers’ current financial projection, they could go hard after Kessler and still have plenty of room under the threshold.
Of course, theoretically signing Kessler and re-signing Reaves would mean that the Lakers would be out on James. The more sensible path for the Lakers would be to go after Isaiah Hartenstein if the Thunder declines his $28.5 million team option. If that is the case, Hartenstein is expected to have many suitors. Perhaps, the Lakers could ink the 7-footer to a $25 million a year deal.
Mitchell Robinson is the top unrestricted free agent who is projected to get a two-year deal worth between $26 to $48 million ($13-24 million a season). Robert Williams — who is projected to earn a $18-to-$24 million deal over two seasons — Mark Williams, and Zach Collins.
Additionally, Jaxson Hayes is an unrestricted free agent. Hayes is a high-energy athletic center whose offensive efficiency has been elite since joining the Lakers. The 7-footer is coming off the second-best season of his career and is an elite offensive rebounder. He made $3.4 million this past season and could be in line for a slight increase.
Let’s assume that the Lakers sign two centers: Robinson for $15 million a season and Hayes for $5 million. Those two additions put the Lakers’ cap hit at $173.5 million for 12 players, leaving the Lakers about $27 million below the tax threshold.
Re-Sign LeBron James: Priority No. 5
With this exercise, the Lakers would have enough money to pay James around $40 million and still be around $9 million below the second apron. The question is, is James willing to take about a $10 million salary cut, and are the Lakers willing to go that high?
“The concept that he’s just not as good anymore and he’s only worth $30M instead of $50M, you’re not getting that from LeBron James,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Get Up.LeBron doesn’t believe in that. I don’t expect him to accept that. If you’re the Lakers and you force LeBron to leave, he’ll go somewhere else and play for less money.”
Major Changes Ahead For The Lakers, Make trades to improve team: Priority No. 6
If the Lakers accomplish everything they want, they could trade Jared Vanderbilt or Ayton for draft capital or salary-cap relief. That is, if the Lakers haven’t already moved them before this point.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
