{"id":203725,"date":"2026-07-06T12:45:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T16:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=203725"},"modified":"2026-07-06T12:45:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T16:45:35","slug":"lakers-improve-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/07\/06\/lakers-improve-club\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Looking to Make 6th Trade of Offseason As Nuggets Make Restricted Free Agent Available, 2 FA Emerge as Replacements For Ayton"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the most active teams this offseason, and they are reportedly done switching things up. The Lakers have added six players and made five trades over the last two weeks, including sending Deandre Ayton<\/a> to the Washington Wizards<\/a> yesterday.<\/p>\n

Lakers Searching to Improve Club At Wing and Center<\/h2>\n

Los Angeles entered the offseason with the second most cap space in the NBA, and the Lakers have certainly taken advantage. However, they have not achieved everything they wanted.<\/p>\n

LA’s main priority this offseason was to re-sign Austin Reaves<\/a>, which they accomplished with a max four-year deal worth $184.7 million.\u00a0 The Lakers also acquired the center they have been looking for for years, Walker Kessler<\/a>, via sign-and-trade. They have also brought in Quentin Grimes<\/a>, Sandro Mamukelashvili<\/a>, Collin Sexton<\/a> and Jaden Hardy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Lakers have 13 players under contract with a salary cap hit of $192.76 million. Therefore, the Lakers are $7.6 million under the luxury tax threshold. They are also $16.2 million from being hardcapped at the first apron.<\/p>\n

For all their moves, the Lakers have only three sure-fire starters: Luka Doncic<\/a>, Reaves, and Kessler. The Lakers need a starting-caliber small forward and power forward.<\/p>\n

Grimes has demonstrated he can be productive as a starter so that JJ Redick may put him out there alongside Reaves and Doncic for his defensive capabilities. Starting Grimes would severely hamper the Lakers’ offensive bench production unless rookie Cameron Carr<\/a> is ready from Day 1, Hardy continues to grow, or Dalton Knecht<\/a> reverts to his rookie production. Knecht is not playing in the Summer League this year.<\/p>\n

Carr has shown the ability to score against NBA-caliber players early in the NBA Summer League, as the Lakers are playing in the California Classic. Through two games, Carr has scored 45 points on 45.2% shooting from the field and has knocked down 9 of 20 (45%) 3-point attempts.<\/p>\n

Sexton is also a candidate to start in the backcourt. But Sexton’s defensive fit alongside Doncic and Reaves would leave the Lakers vulnerable.<\/p>\n

As it stands now, Mamukelashvili figures to compete with Jake LaRavia<\/a> and Jarred Vanderbilt<\/a> for the starting power forward spot. Mamukelashvili is coming off the best season of his career, though the 27-year-old has spent most of his career coming off the bench.\u00a0 LaRavia is also coming off a career season and is capable of playing both forward spots. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has struggled since joining the Lakers.<\/p>\n

How Could The Lakers Upgrade Roster?<\/h3>\n

According to NBA Insider Evan Sidery, LA is actively shopping Knecht and Vanderbilt in hopes of securing a starting-caliber wing. However, the Lakers don’t have many future draft assets to include, as none of their three first-round selections are currently tradeable. They also have only three second-round selections (2031, 2032, 2033).<\/p>\n

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The Lakers are actively shopping Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade talks.<\/p>\n

After gaining two second-round picks in the Deandre Ayton trade, Los Angeles could consolidate those assets in a deal immediately for a starting-caliber wing. pic.twitter.com\/9tBaBxRscJ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 3, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n