The Los Angeles Lakers made moves this offseason.
After failing to advance past the second round for the third consecutive season, pressure from the Laker faithful only continued to mount. President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka heard the noise, orchestrating a flurry of moves to revitalize a roster that will take the court this season with an entirely different identity.
The biggest headline this summer for the Lakers wasn’t a transaction — it was the departure of the league’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, who ended his eight-year tenure with the Purple and Gold to ink a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Other key departures from the process included big men Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, guards Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, and forward Rui Hachimura. The empty roster space paved the way for a roster overhaul that placed an emphasis on fixing the frontcourt woes that have plagued the team for years.
With the James era officially in the books, the Lakers now belong fully to superstar guard Luka Dončić, who led all scorers across the association last year with 33.5 points per game. The front office spent the summer working to produce a roster that best complements the newfound power dynamic, with Dončić solely at the helm.
In came the headline addition: center Walker Kessler. The 7’2, 245-pound big man was acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, providing Dončić with a proven lob threat and rim protector to work alongside.
Pelinka’s blueprint was still far from being fulfilled. He inked a pair of deals with guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, reinforcing a backcourt that will be led primarily by Dončić and fan-favorite breakout Austin Reaves, who was extended on a four-year, $180 million deal after averaging a career-high 23.3 points last season. In the frontcourt, LA signed Kevon Looney, Matisse Thybulle and Sandro Mamukelashvili, who will look to help fill the holes created by the exit of Hayes and Hachimura.
Through the draft, the Lakers added yet another guard, selecting Baylor’s Cameron Carr with the 24th pick.
The bottom line for the Lakers, or any other NBA team, remains the same. It doesn’t matter how many offseason moves you make. It’s about whether or not the group of guys who step on the court when the season begins in October are going to provide the squad with the best possible chance to make a deep playoff run, and eventually even secure a championship.
That’s the inevitable question: Does this revamped Laker squad have what it takes to prove legitimate contenders amidst an ever-loaded Western Conference?
From an optimistic standpoint, the case starts with fit. Past seasons in LA have seen the team forgo frontcourt reinforcements to load up on shooting and secondary ball-handling. The addition of Kessler is a significant step in the right direction. A true rim protector who doesn’t require the basketball in his hands at a high frequency changes the dynamic defensively and provides Dončić with the lob threat he’s been patiently waiting for. The defensive versatility of Thybulle and the rebounding volume of Looney help to make this one of the most structurally sound Lakers rosters we’ve seen in recent years.
Yet one key piece remains essential for the operation to move along smoothly —LA will need to see its players stay consistently healthy. Dončić’s season was ended by a Grade 2 hamstring strain that kept him out for the entirety of the postseason. Meanwhile, Reaves battled injuries of his own that bled into the postseason and fluctuated his production.
Then, there’s the question of continuity. LA’s 2026-2027 roster will only have a single player (Reaves) remaining from the seven who logged the most minutes for the team last postseason. A flurry of new rotation pieces is a lot to integrate, and championship-level chemistry can’t be developed through a single training camp.
Come Oct. 21, we’ll get our first glimpse of this new look unit in action. Whether the fit will prove productive or the stars can remain healthy is up in the air. But if things click and the roster gels, don’t be surprised to see LA playing basketball deep into May, and perhaps even June.