Made using the last two seasons of FairSalary data, the Lakers’ 2025 to 26 team and lineup data, current salary information, and role based advanced metrics from both BBal Index and Cleaning the Glass.
The Lakers’ 2026 offseason is not just about finding good players.
It is about order of operations.
That matters because the Lakers have one of the most unusual cap situations in the league. Austin Reaves is about to get paid, but his cap hold is far below his likely next contract. LeBron James can either block most of their cap room or unlock the entire summer depending on his salary. Rui Hachimura has a cap hold that is much higher than what I think his next contract should be. Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton have player options. The Lakers also have several mid sized contracts that could be useful in trades if they handle them correctly.
If the Lakers get this right, they can build a real Luka Doncic contender.
If they get it wrong, they can accidentally spend the summer keeping the wrong salaries, losing useful trade slots, and building another roster that looks better on paper than it does in a playoff matchup.
The big idea is simple:
Spend before Reaves.
Keep flexibility.
Add point of attack defense.
Add lob pressure.
Add size that can shoot.
Do not overpay one way players.
That is the whole offseason.
The cap setup
The projected 2026 to 27 cap environment I am using:
Salary cap: $165 million
Luxury tax: about $201 million
First apron: about $209 million
Second apron: about $222 million
Room exception: about $9.4 million
The key Lakers numbers:
Luka Doncic: $49.8 million
Jarred Vanderbilt: $12.43 million
Jake LaRavia: $6 million
Dalton Knecht: $4.2 million
Bronny James: $2.3 million
Adou Thiero: $2.15 million
Austin Reaves cap hold: about $20.9 million if he declines his player option
LeBron James cap hold: $57.75 million until resolved
Rui Hachimura cap hold: about $27.4 million
Luke Kennard cap hold: about $13.2 million
Marcus Smart player option: $5.39 million
Deandre Ayton player option: $8.1 million
This is why the order matters.
Reaves’ new deal could start around $38 million to $41 million, but before he signs it, he only counts around $20.9 million. That lets the Lakers spend cap room first, then go over the cap to re-sign him.
That is the key of the Lakers offseason.
The correct order should be:
- Get LeBron’s decision first.
- Get Smart and Ayton’s option decisions.
- Decide whether Rui and Kennard are being kept, renounced, or re-signed early at lower numbers than their cap holds.
- Keep Reaves’ cap hold.
- Spend cap space.
- Use the room exception.
- Re-sign Reaves last.
If the Lakers sign Reaves too early, they burn flexibility for no reason. If they leave LeBron and Rui’s cap holds unresolved too long, they do not know how much money they actually have. If they renounce useful players without having replacements lined up, they create new holes.
This offseason is a puzzle.
The Lakers need to solve it in the right order.
What the Lakers actually need
The Lakers’ team data tells us a lot.
They were not bad. They were solid. The total profile was good enough to be dangerous, but definately not clean enough to be a championship favorite. They even had some obvious holes.
Team true shooting: .609
Team offensive rating: 118.5
Team defensive rating: 116.1
Net rating: plus 2.4
That is a good team, and we especially saw that after the all star break before the injuries to both Luka and Reaves. They played fantastic both offensively and defensively.
But the roster balance was not good enough.
The Lakers had enough offense with Luka, Reaves and LeBron. Rui and Kennard really helped there as well. The problem was finding lineups that could score, defend, rebound, and space the floor at the same time.
Some lineup examples matter here:
Luka, Reaves, Smart, LeBron, Ayton: plus 11.4 in 393 possessions
Luka, Reaves, Rui, LeBron, Ayton: minus 14.9 in 282 possessions
Luka, Reaves, Smart, Rui, Ayton: plus 23.3 in 240 possessions
Luka, Smart, LaRavia, LeBron, Ayton: minus 5.1 in 471 possessions
Luka, Reaves, Smart, Rui, Hayes: plus 17.9 in 102 possessions
The biggest lesson is not that one lineup is perfect and another lineup is trash. The samples are too small for that.
The bigger lesson is that the Lakers needed the right defensive balance around Luka and Reaves. Luka and Reaves paired with Smart and a big was great, both with Lebron and Rui at the 4. When the Lakers took out Smart and put in all 3 of Lebron, Luka and Rui and added them with a big there was no balance. All 3 are at their best defensively at the 4, in more of a helper role. None of them are POA defenders. And if you add Reaves to this as well, which was one of the most used lineups, especially in the first half of the season, players get forced into the wrong defensive roles which creates very clear holes.
When Smart was in the right lineup, the team looked much more playable defensively. That makes sense because Smart graded as an elite point of attack defender. He was in the 89th percentile in D-LEBRON, 97th percentile in defensive turnover generation, 92nd percentile in passing lane defense and 91st percentile in perimeter isolation defense.
That is exactly what the Lakers need more of.
They need players who can take the hard defensive jobs so Luka and Reaves do not have to survive every possession as primary targets. They will still have to take on some POA responsibilities when they need to switch. But that doesn’t have to be the end of the world, especially when you have a good rim protector and help defender behind them.
This is why the second thing they need is better vertical pressure.
Luka is one of the best lob passers and pick and roll manipulators ever. If the center is not a good lob threat, teams can load up on Luka more aggressively. If the center is a real lob threat, the low man has to tag harder, the corner shooter gets cleaner looks, and Luka gets more room to operate.
That is why the Lakers’ big man search cannot only be about “a center.”
It has to be about a center who creates rim pressure and rim protection.
Deandre Ayton was efficient, but the fit was far from perfect. Jaxson Hayes was less complete, but his vertical spacing was very real. If the Lakers can add a better defensive center who is also a legitimate lob threat, that could change the entire geometry of both the offense and the defense.
Austin Reaves: pay him last, ideally front loaded
Austin Reaves should be back.
That is not really a debate for me, even though some fans seem to disagree.
My FairSalary model had Reaves at about $41 million in 2025 to 26 value. His two year signal is strong too. He is not just a random role player who got hot. He is a real offensive engine who can play on the ball, off the ball, in second side actions, as a pick and roll creator, as a floor spacer, and as a late clock scorer. He has also improved in every season of his carreer.
The defensive concerns are real. He can be targeted. His playoff production has to hold up better. But the offensive fit with Luka is too valuable to let him walk. Some people claim the offensive fit isn’t good enough either. But Reaves was the teammate Luka had the highest plus minus with during the whole season at a +8.6 net rating. That doesn’t just happen for no reason. The key is to create balanced lineups that work around these 2, and ideally stagger them so they can play to their own strenghts all the time while creating good and balanced lineups during the whole game. Letting Reaves walk for nothing would be a similar mistake to the Mavs with brunson. Trading Reaves later is an option, but I would only do that if during the next playoffs Reaves and Luka are both healthy and it still doesn’t work. Especially becaue for this season only, Reaves is basically still a 20 million player based on his impact on the Lakers flexibility and spending.
My ideal Reaves contract:
I would love it if Reaves would take a frontloaded contract, if he wants to make more a flat contract works as well. Even though some fans disagree he is definately work 40 million a year. Though Ideally I would like his salary to be a bit lower. Frontloading His contract would give the lakers the highest amount of flexibility in upcoming seasons while still getting Reaves paid. My Ideal contract would be:
5 years, around $180 ish milllion.
Year 1: around $41 million
Year 2: around $38 million
Year 3: around $36 million
Year 4: around $34 million
Year 5: around $32 million
That structure gets Reaves paid, starting at the max while helping the Lakers later.
A flat deal could also work if Reaves wants more than 180, you could go a flat 40 million a year at around 200 million total. This would obviously be less ideal, but with the salarycap probably increasing with about 10% a year this structure would not be that bad.
What I do not love is the most expensive version with the max of 8% in raises every year. The Lakers can go over the cap to sign him after using his cap hold, so the first year number does not hurt their cap space plan as long as they sign him last. The bigger benefit of a front loaded or flat contract is future flexibility.
If Reaves wants the full five year max with raises, I still probably sign it. Losing him for nothing would be worse. But the front office should absolutely try to push for a structure that gives Reaves his money while keeping future seasons cleaner. Some people think this is to much, even in a declining structure. I think this is very fair compared to other players around the league as it would rank Reaves around the 45th highest paid player in the league.
LeBron’s contract decides the entire Lakers ceiling
This is the most important decision of the offseason.
LeBron is still good. My FairSalary model still sees him as a star level player. He averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds. He still had a .594 true shooting percentage. He still showed up in the playoff and and raised his game again. Purely looking at Lebron’s value he was probably still worth areoun 45 million a year, maybe more in the playoffs. This is what my fairsalary model said he was worth, but it is also is what other reports have said, where an eastern conference executive basically said they still valued him at near max player level if it wasn’t for his age.
But this is not just about how good LeBron is.
It is also about how much room he leaves for the rest of the roster.
LeBron at the max
If LeBron takes anything close to the max, the Lakers lose the clean cap room path.
They can still bring him back. They have his Bird rights. But if he takes around $57 million, the Lakers are basically back to an over the cap team. That means the offseason becomes much more dependent on trades, exceptions, and minimums.
That is not ideal.
If LeBron wants the max, I understand it from a legacy and business standpoint. From a basketball standpoint, it makes the Lakers’ summer much harder.
My view: only acceptable if the Lakers already have a separate trade path lined up.
LeBron at $25 million to $35 million
This is a real discount from the max, but it still limits the offseason.
At this number, the Lakers can still do some things, but they probably cannot keep Rui, keep Kennard, add a major center, add a defensive wing.
They would have to choose. If Lebron Signs for 25 million. The Lakers will probably have around 8-10 million left for another player if they let go of both Rui and Kennard. Is that worth it? I don’t know. At that point resigning Lebron, Rui and Kennard will probably be the best option. Than if needed trying to make a deal to trade one of Rui/Kennard or both at the deadline will probably net a better result. However a paycut like this would still help the lakers avoid the apron levels which still gives some benefits.
My view: workable, but not ideal.
LeBron at $15 million to $20 million
This is where the Lakers can start to build a real team.
The Lakers still keep LeBron. But there now is enough room left to add meaningful rotation talent before signing Reaves. Taking the 15 million dollar route, the lakers now have about 20 million in cap space if Ayton ops out and the lakers renounce him and they renounce rui and kennard. There is some room there to sign another player. You could re sign either Rui for 15 million and still have about 5 million left, which could be enough to get someline like Keon Ellis or sign Kennard for 10 million and than still have enough to sign ellis and someone els or sign another 10 million dollar player. While also still having the 9 million room exception left. Signing a 20 million dollar player, like Eason for example, would still leave the room exeption which you could still use to bring back Kennard, or another plauer.
My view: this is the compromise zone. I am not sure LeBron will take a discount this big. But it would be huge for the lakers if he did.
LeBron at the room exception
This is the dream realistic version.
The Lakers could renounce LeBron, spend their cap room first and then use the room exception on LeBron. That would probably be around $9.4 million.
The only downside is that the room exception would be gone. They could not also use it on a rotation wing or shooter.
But the upside is massive. It lets the Lakers build the roster first, then bring LeBron back as the ultimate luxury piece. It gives the lakers around 40 million in cap space if Ayton opts out and they renounce everyone. That is huge. They could go after multiple players who fit, like Eason or Watson, you could even resign Rui and Kennard for a combined 25 million and still have 15 million left to go after a Poa Defender or a big man. Than use a trade later to fill in the last needs.
My view: this should be the Lakers’ goal. If LeBron wants to win one more title in Los Angeles this is probably the most realistic way to do this.
LeBron at the minimum
This is extremely unlikely, but it is also the championship gift.
If LeBron takes the minimum, the Lakers can spend cap room, keep the room exception for another rotation player. The Lakers can probably fill every need they have, build depth and still get LeBron back.
This is the best possible basketball outcome for the Lakers, but very unrealistic.
My view: Very unrealistic, but if LeBron does it, the Lakers should be aggressive immediately.
Personally I think the most likely outcome is LeBron in the 25-30 million range. Still a decent paycut, and the Lakers should definately keep him as you won’t find a better player for that price. However it does still create some flecibility options and the Lakers will probably need a mid season trade to really fill their needs.
Rui Hachimura
Do not let him walk for nothing unless the replacement is already there.
Rui is complicated.
The model is not kind to him. His advanced impact numbers were not that good. His FairSalary number was much lower than what he will probably get on the market.
But I would be careful about overreacting to that.
A lot of Rui’s advanced data was hurt by the Lakers forcing lineups with Rui, LeBron and Luka together. Those lineups often did not work, except for small ball situations. The issue was not just Rui being bad. The issue was role.
Rui is not a primary point of attack defender. He is more of a helper forward. He can survive a switch after a screen. He can hold up for a few possessions. He can use his size. But if you ask him to be the main defender on quick guards or top perimeter creators, you are setting him up to fail.
That matters.
When Luka, LeBron and Rui are all on the floor, somebody has to take hard defensive assignments. Luka is not doing that every night. LeBron should not have to do it for 82 games at his age. That often leaves Rui in a role that does not fit him.
Offensively, Rui still has a lot of value.
He shot 44.3 percent from three.
He had a .620 true shooting percentage.
He was in the 94.8th percentile in three point percentage.
He was in the 90.1st percentile in catch and shoot three point percentage.
He was in the 86.1st percentile in effective field goal percentage.
He was even better in the playoffs.
That is not easy to replace.
So my Rui stance is this:
I do not want to lose him for nothing.
But I do not want to overpay him unless the deal is tradeable.
Ideal Rui deal: 2 years plus a team option, starting around $13 million to $14 million
Acceptable Rui deal: 3 years, $42 million to $48 million
Danger zone: $17 million or more annually with full long term guarantees
If the Lakers sign Rui and later find the perfect defensive forward replacement, Rui becomes a deadline trade piece. That is fine. A tradeable Rui contract is better than losing his shooting for nothing.
But if the Lakers can sign a better two way forward immediately, I am fine moving on. There are a few potential options. Tari Eason and Peyton Watson are the most obvious candidates here, though it could be hard to get them. If Andrew Wiggins decides to opt out he could also be a very good replacement.
The key is not letting Rui’s $27.4 million cap hold sit there and ruin the offseason.
Jarred Vanderbilt: his contract is too much, and trading him is ideal
I like Vanderbilt’s skill set in theory.
He rebounds. He defends. He creates chaos. He can guard multiple positions. He gives the Lakers energy.
But his contract is a problem.
Vanderbilt salary:
2026 to 27: $12.43 million
2027 to 28: $13.29 million
That is too much for a player whose value depends entirely on whether the offense can survive his spacing. There is still value there. Some people seem to think he will be out of the league soon, but I strongly disagree. On a minimum deal, or slightly above that he is very valuable, especially as an injury replacement.
However the Lakers cannot pay $12 million to $13 million for a forward who will be ignored on offense, especially next to non shooting centers.
His defensive data is still good. He was in the 85th percentile in D-LEBRON and 95th percentile in passing lane defense. But the offensive indicators are a problem. His three point percentage percentile was 27.1. His effective field goal percentage percentile was 44.6. His finishing talent was in the 9.6th percentile.
That means he needs the perfect lineup around him.
The Lakers should definately try to trade him.
Not desperately. Not for nothing. But ideally, Vanderbilt’s money should become a more balanced player.
If they cannot find the right deal now, they can wait until the deadline. That might be smart if the offseason market is weak and if you want to see how the team does so you can fix the holes that are left. But trading him should probably be a priority.
He is a useful player.
He is not a useful salary at that number unless the shot improves, which I don’t think it will.
Dalton Knecht: use him in the right trade, otherwise evaluate him until the deadline
Knecht is another decision point.
I would not dump him.. YET.
But I would absolutely use him in a trade if the Lakers can get a real playoff rotation player.
A lot of people want him gone asap. However the case for patience is easy. He is cheap. He has shooting equity. He has size. Shooting around Luka matters. His 2025 shooting profile was much better than his 2026 profile. If he becomes a reliable shooter who can survive defensively, his $4.2 million salary is useful. He was only on his second season, it is fairly easy to see him improve and get closer to his 2025 numbers.
The problem is defense.
His 2026 defensive numbers were bad. He was in the 11.9th percentile in D-LEBRON and 9.4th percentile in defensive RAPTOR. That is not where a playoff wing can be if the shot is not elite.
My Knecht plan:
If he helps land a real two way rotation player now, trade him.
If not, keep him into the season.
Give him a clear developmental role.
If he is not defending and/or shooting better by the deadline, move him. His value right now is low anyway, at least he could be an expiring at the deadline.
I don’t think the Lakers should sell low for a random veteran. I think hoping he improves will give them a better return at the deadline if they still decide to trade him. Or if he does well enough they can keep him as his contract is cheap and he can be a decent injury replacement/developmental piece.
Jake LaRavia: keep him unless his shot stays broken
LaRavia is also a player I would be patient with.
His three point shooting was bad this season, only 32.1 percent. But his career number is 35.1 percent, and before this season he had real shooting indicators. Getting him back to 36 percent or better is very possible.
The important thing is that he does other stuff.
He played all 82 games.
He rebounded.
He forced turnovers.
He cut.
He had strong activity metrics.
He was in the 90.9th percentile in off ball chaser defense.
He was in the 86.1st percentile in passing lane defense.
He had strong offensive rebounding indicators.
He had a 96.6th percentile three point openness rating and 99th percentile catch and shoot openness rating.
That last part is important.
He was getting the right shots. He just missed too many.
If LaRavia hits 36 percent or better from three, he becomes a useful low cost connector and because of his defense he could fill in a role similar to Rui off the bench but with better defense. His shooting will probably still be less good, but the defense is probably more needed. And at that point Rui might be able to return a better player and fit by trading him than Laravia will. However if Laravia is still around 32 percent in February, he should become a trade piece.
My LaRavia plan:
Keep him now.
Do not sell low and trade him unless he is needed in a major upgrade.
Evaluate the shot through the first half of the season.
If the shot comes back, keep him.
If not, trade him at the deadline.
The big man plan: Luka needs lob pressure
This might be the most important basketball part of the offseason.
Luka Doncic with a real lob threat is a different offense.
A vertical center forces the defense to choose. If the big steps up, Luka throws the lob. If the low man tags, Luka hits the corner. If the defense stays home, Luka gets to his stepback, floater, post seal, or pocket pass.
The Lakers cannot waste that.
Ayton is a good finisher, but he is not the perfect Luka big. He had excellent numbers: 94.6th percentile rim field goal percentage, 96th percentile effective field goal percentage, 98.3rd percentile pick and roll screener shot making, and 93.6th percentile pick and roll shot quality.
That is good.
But he is more of a touch finisher, short roll target and dunker spot finisher than a constant above the rim lob terror. He can catch lobs, though he doesn’t have the best hands and he does not bend the weak side the way the most explosive vertical bigs do.
Hayes, on the other hand, brings more pure lob pressure. His role is simpler, but that simplicity matters next to Luka. Hayes was in the 99.1st percentile in effective field goal percentage, 92.8th percentile in rim field goal percentage, 99.2nd percentile in pick and roll shot quality and 99.8th percentile in role adjusted stable true shooting.
That is why I would like to keep Hayes if the price is reasonable.
But the Lakers need one more answer.
The ideal center target should do most of these things:
Set real screens.
Roll hard.
Catch lobs.
Finish above the rim.
Protect the rim.
Rebound on both ends.
Survive enough in space to stay on the floor in playoff games.
If the big cannot do those things, the fit with Luka is not maximized.
Best free agent and trade center targets
Mitchell Robinson
Robinson gives you offensive rebounding, vertical spacing, rim protection and physicality. His 2026 defensive profile was elite: 97.7th percentile D-LEBRON, 97.3rd percentile defensive RAPTOR, 93.8th percentile help defense, and 89.5th percentile rim protection.
He also gives Luka a real lob and offensive rebound target.
The concern is health and free throw shooting. You cannot give him a long risky deal. But a short contract in the $15 million to $20 million range makes sense. The question though is if Robinson is enough as the only big man addition as I don’t know if he can and should be a starter for 82 games and, more importantly, in the playoffs. If you get Mitchell Robinson, keeping both Ayton and Hayes could be a decent option. The lakers can than play a 3 big man rotation, somewhere in the range of 20-18-10 minutes for example. Shorter roles so they can play harder, somewhat similar, though different, to the AD, Dwight, McGee rotation.
Ideal Lakers offer: 2 years, $30 or less.
Risk: availability, free throw shooting, usefullness in higher minutes.
Robert Williams III
This is the upside swing.
When healthy, Robert Williams is exactly the kind of big the Lakers need. He is a lob threat, a defensive playmaker, a rim protector, and a rebounder. His 2026 defensive data remained elite, with a 99.2nd percentile D-LEBRON, 96.6th percentile defensive RAPTOR, 97.7th percentile help defense and 96.7th percentile rim protection.
The problem is obvious.
Health.
I would love this bet on a protected short deal, but the questions around Robert Williams are similar to that of Robinson, can he start for a full season, can he stay healthy?
Ideal Lakers offer: 1 year, $12 million to $15 million, or 2 years with protections.
Best fit: high upside center rotation piece
Risk: medicals
Mark Williams
This is one of the best theoretical fits. But it would be extremely funny is this happens, and I don’t really expect it to happen.
Williams is a good lob target. The important numbers are finishing and rebounding. He was in the 92.5th percentile in finishing talent, 79.1st percentile in rim field goal percentage and 93.3rd percentile in rebounds per 75 possessions.
He also graded well defensively: 87.9th percentile D-LEBRON and 89.5th percentile rim protection. He started 55 out of 60 games for a 45 wins playoff team in the west. So he has shown he can fill in that role, even though he played just 24 minutes a game.
The issue is restricted free agency. The Lakers can make an offer, but it may get matched. Also, offer sheets can tie up cap space. And even it this all works out, I am not sure Mark Williams would want to come to the Lakers after the failed trade last season. With that said, a sign and trade could still be possible, but I don’t really see this happening.
Ideal Lakers offer: 4 years, $80 million if they are willing to test the market
Walker Kessler
Kessler, is probably the Lakers dream scenario. He is more rim protection than offensive flexibility, but he would solve a major issue and would be a near perfect fit for this Lakers team.
His 2025 data was ridiculous: 95.2nd percentile D-LEBRON, 99.1st percentile rim protection, 100th percentile possession quality impact and 97.2nd percentile effective field goal percentage.
The issue is price and restricted free agency.
I like him, but I would not want to spend the entire offseason chasing a center offer sheet that will probably get matched.
Ideal Lakers offer: 4 years, $100 million only if they are fully committed.
Best fit: defensive anchor
Risk: expensive and likely matched
Jaxson Hayes
The Lakers already know the fit.
Hayes is not perfect, but his lob pressure is real. He is exactly the kind of vertical athlete who benefits from Luka.
Ideal Lakers offer: 1 or 2 years, $6 million annually or less.
Best fit: backup center or regular season rim runner
Deandre Ayton
If Ayton opts in at $8.1 million, keep him unless a better plan is available.
At that price, he is useful. He is efficient. He rebounds. He gives size. He can be traded later at the deadline.
If he opts out and wants more, I get cautious.
Ideal Lakers number: $8.1 million option, or short deal around $10 million to $12 million
Danger zone: long term deal above $14 million annually
Best fit: bridge center, not final answer
Trade center options
Daniel Gafford
This is one of the cleanest Luka fits in the league, as we saw when they played together. He is a vertical roller, lob threat, offensive rebounder and rim protector. His 2026 data still looks very good, with 92.9th percentile D-LEBRON, 96.4th percentile finishing talent, 91.5th percentile rebounding, 94.4th percentile effective field goal percentage and 96.4th percentile rim protection.
The contract is not tiny, but starting at 17 million next season is very fair for his role and what he brings. The biggest problem here is if the Mavs would even want to trade with the Lakers, which I doubt.
Why he fits: Luka already knows how to use this archetype.
Possible trade path: Vanderbilt plus Knecht plus draft value, or Ayton salary if the timing allows it.
Difficulty: likely expensive.
Clint Capela
Capela is older, but at around $7 million to $7.4 million, he is a very interesting trade target.
His 2026 defensive profile still popped: 92nd percentile D-LEBRON, 94.4th percentile defensive RAPTOR, 97.5th percentile help defense, 98th percentile rim protection and 99.4th percentile stable defensive field goal percentage at the rim. 18.6 rebounds per 100 posessions.
He is not a long term solution, but he could be a regular season center who gives Luka lob pressure and saves money. He definately isn’t a starter though. His fit next to Luka is good. So his scoring numbers from the past season will probably increase, especially as the Rockets didn’t really have good point guard options with van Vleet injured. But if the Lakers get him they probably need an additonal big. If the Lakers keep Ayton, or get someone like Robinson or Robert Williams, he might be a good additional get.
Why he fits: cheap lob and rim big.
Possible trade path: He only makes 7 million, so a small salary plus draft compensation if the rockets team wants to clear rotation space, Lakers could possible even just move him into the cap space.
Difficulty: realistic if available.
Goga Bitadze
Goga is definately could be a good target if the Lakers want a cheaper defensive big. He seems to fit well but he has never had a big role. The question is if he can handle that.
His 2026 rim and defensive numbers were strong. He was in the 96th percentile in D-LEBRON, 95.5th percentile rim protection and 96.6th percentile effective field goal percentage.
Why he fits: lower cost defensive center.
Possible trade path: Vanderbilt structure with a pick if the Lakers want to rebalance salary, or smaller pieces if available.
Difficulty: I don’t know if the magic want to trade Goga. I also don’t know if Luka wants to play with him after what happened last season.
The wing and guard plan: the Lakers need real point of attack defense
The Lakers should not build around Luka and Reaves without a second real point of attack defender.
Smart helps. But Smart alone is not enough. The Lakers need to make sure they always have at least 1 good poa defender in the game. Ideally more. So, they need at least one more player who can guard the ball, chase shooters, force turnovers and still be playable offensively. The lakers do have Jake Laravia, who was good defensively and is still young. If he can improve his percentage from 3 and get back to 36% or more he could be one of the players for this role. If Adou develops a three pointer he could get some minutes in this role. Similar for Bronny who played decent in the playoffs. I don’t think Adou or Bronny will improve enough for that to be meaningfull next season. However there is a chance they break out a little and can at least fill in a small version of that role. I still think the Lakers need at least 1 more though.
The target profile:
At least 60th percentile or better in three point shooting, that will be around 35-36% or strong catch and shoot history
At least 75th percentile perimeter isolation defense or point of attack defensive indicators
Not a high turnover offensive player
Can survive playoff spacing
Can play next to Luka and Reaves without needing the ball
Best free agent wing and guard targets
Dean Wade
This is one of my favorite Lakers targets.
Wade is not flashy. That is the point. He is a low usage wing defender who can shoot enough and defend real playoff matchups.
His two year defensive profile is strong. In 2025 he was in the 86.4th percentile in D-LEBRON, and in 2026 he was in the 86.2nd percentile. He also graded well as a wing stopper, with strong perimeter isolation defense and off ball defensive value.
He is exactly the kind of player the Lakers need.
Ideal Lakers offer: $10 million to $13 million annually. Maybe the lakers could get him for the room exception. That would be perfect.
Best role: 6th man ish defensive forward.
Why he fits: defense, size, shooting, low usage
Keon Ellis
Ellis should be high on the Lakers’ board.
He gives you defense without needing touches. His 2026 defensive profile was strong, and he has enough shooting to be playable. He was in the 90.8th percentile in D-LEBRON, 98.3rd percentile defensive turnover generation and 70.7th percentile perimeter isolation defense.
He is not a creator. But he is the kind of low usage guard defender every Luka team needs.
Ideal Lakers offer: $6 million to $10 million annually. He is the kind of player the Lakers could potentially get with the room exception or maybe even with some leftover cap space. He is still young and developping, didn’t play a lot in the playoffs for the cavs. But he is exactly the type of player the Lakers need.
Best role: bench point of attack defender. Could be a great backup for Smart.
Why he fits: cheap defense and low usage spacing
Ayo Dosunmu
Ayo is not a perfect defender by every advanced metric, but he is still a very useful target.
The offensive improvement matters. His 2026 shooting indicators were strong: 94.4th percentile in three point percentage, 86.3rd percentile in catch and shoot three point percentage and 82.5th percentile effective field goal percentage.
His defense though is very mixed. His D-Lebron and his defensive RAPTOR are low, 14th and 33rd percentile respectively. However he ranked 68 percentile this season and 91 percentile last season in perimeter Isolation defense, 73rd percentile this season in defensive impact on efg% 85th percentile in off ball chaser defense. He fills in a poa role. He is far from perfect defensively. But on offense he is great and he would still be an upgrade defensively over someone like Kennard while still bringing very good shooting stats. He would also be great as an injury replacement when either Luka or Reaves gets injures, you can simply put him in the starting lineups and still have some creation, ball handling, shooting etc. If you can get Dosunmu for a similar price as Kennard, I would go for Dosunmu.
Ideal Lakers offer: $14 million million annually
Best role: secondary handler, 6th man.
Why he fits: shooting, ball handling, size for a guard, with some defense.
Concern: not quite the elite defensive stopper the Lakers still need
Quentin Grimes
Grimes is a clean role fit if the price is right.
A pure 3 and D target, but his catch and shoot value is real. He shot only 33.42% from 3 last season, however he shot 38% from catch and catch shoot three point percentage, 39% last season. On the Lakers there should not be a need for him to take pullups so I fully expect his overall percentage to increase next to the passing of Luka, Reaves and hopefully LeBron. Defensively He ranks very well as well. This season 86th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, 92nd percentile in off ball chaser defense, defensive efg impact of 96th percentile. Ball screen navigation 96th percentile. Those are great, and most of those numbers have been fairly consistend over the past few seasons. I think this is the type of player the Lakers 100% should try to get. I love Kennard, but even here if it comes down to Grimes or Kennard I would go for Kennard because of his defensive fit.
Ideal Lakers offer: $10 million to $14 million annually
Best role: High minute bench rotation shooting guard or wing. Not sure if he would be a starter or if we would still start Smart. I think we should test both and see which one works the best.
Why he fits: shooting, low usage, easy offensive fit
Concern: not a true defensive solution by himself
Jordan Goodwin
Goodwin is a sneaky target.
His 2026 defensive data was strong, including 85.1st percentile D-LEBRON, 93.1st percentile defensive RAPTOR, 98.7th percentile defensive turnover generation and 94.2nd percentile passing lane defense.
He is shot 37.1% from 3. He does enough connective things to be interesting at a low price. The Lakers had to let him walk last offseason, but that wasn’t because they wanted to. Bringing him back could be a good option.
Ideal Lakers offer: $4 million to $7 million annually
Best role: defensive guard, bench energy, regular season chaos piece
Why he fits: cheap defense and activity
Matisse Thybulle
Thybulle is the extreme version of the defense bet.
The defense is still elite. His 2026 D-LEBRON was 98.9th percentile. His defensive RAPTOR was 99.6th percentile. His passing lane defense was 99.5th percentile.
The question is health. And to a lesser extend shooting. He is a carreer 34.9% shooter. Not great but definately not bad. The past 2 seasons though he shot around 40%, the sample size their is very small. If the Lakers believe his shooting is real enough, he is worth a short contract. His health is the biggest problem. I probably wouldn’t offer to much to him, but a short deal on a lower amount could be a good gamle. A minimum would be fantastic but we could maybe offer him the 5 million that might be left on our cap space after signing our key free agents.
Ideal Lakers offer: 1 year, $5 million.
Best role: matchup defender
Why he fits: elite defensive events
Concern: health
Luke Kennard
The Lakers should keep Kennard only if the number is right.
He was in the 96th percentile in three point percentage, 94th percentile in catch and shoot three point percentage and 95.3rd percentile in effective field goal percentage.
That is elite.
But he was also in the 12.8th percentile in D-LEBRON. You cannot ignore that. With that said I don’t think his defense was THAT bad. He ranked 66th percentile in off ball chaser defense, which was lower than the past 2 seasons where he was around 90th percentile, and around 75th percentile in passing lane defense. The lakers though, need POA defense the most. Reaves already is best in the same defensive role as Kennard, Luka is also better off ball. So you would need to stagger Kennard with Reaves and Luka. That is not horrible, he was definately a plus last season. But based on fit going for somene else is probably not the worst thing in the world.
Ideal Lakers offer: $8 million to $10 million annually
Best role: elite movement shooter, regular season spacer, matchup dependent playoff piece
Concern: defensive targeting
Luguentz Dort
Dort is one of the cleanest theoretical fits.
He defends the point of attack. He takes physical matchups. He shoots enough. He does not need the ball. His 2026 data still had him in the 100th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and 87.7th percentile defensive RAPTOR.
The salary is around $18.2 million if he opts in, so this is not cheap. However the Thunder might get into some financial problems this season. There is a chance they let him go. If so the Lakers should definately try to get him. A trade would also work potentially if the thunder don’t want him to leave for nothing. This would probably be a 3 team trade as the Lakers probably need to inlcude Vanderbilt and I don’t think the Thunder would want that.
Possible trade structure: Vanderbilt plus Knecht plus draft value
Why he fits: exactly the defensive role the Lakers need
Difficulty: expensive, and he may not be available
Trade targets on the wing
Alex Caruso
Caruso is almost too obvious.
He is one of the best defensive guards in basketball. He knows the Lakers ecosystem. He fits next to Luka, Bron and Reaves. He does not need touches.
The issue is price and availability. He makes 19 million, and the thunder clearly value him highly. He is likely not available.
Possible trade structure: Rui sign and trade style salary later, or Vanderbilt plus Knecht plus draft value depending on timing and restrictions
Why he fits: elite defensive connector
Difficulty: very difficult
Herbert Jones
For many. this is a dream target.
Jones gives the Lakers the exact wing defense they need. He has size, hands, instincts and playoff utility. His shooting is the question, but the defensive value is so high that he belongs on every list. His low 3 point percentage the past 2 seasons, injuries and upcoming contract could also be the reason he is gettable. It would be a bit of a gamble, he could just be another Vanderbilt. But he is still shooting 35% from 3 for his carreer, and he hasn’t really played for good teams. If he plays for the lakers he would play for a good team with a ton of playmaking which might help. If he can shoot 35% from 3 or better he would be fantastic piece to have.
Possible trade structure: Vanderbilt salary, Knecht, and draft value
Why he fits: best defensive wing archetype
Difficulty: very expensive
Toumani Camara
Camara is a strong defensive wing who fits the archetype. He is the kind of player who makes a playoff rotation tougher.
His contract is no longer tiny, but the role is valuable. He is going to make 18 million next season. But his defensive numbers are amazing. 85th percentile in defensive LEBRON. 98.5th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, 89th percentile in off ball chaser defense. Defensively he will fit better than Rui, he will probably be able to play next to both LeBron and Luka at the same time, so starting him is a real option. He has size, can rebound a bit and is very durable. I doubt the Blazer woud want to part ways with him, but if the Lakers can get him it would be perfect. Rui could be a good replacement for the Blazers as well, so a mid season trade, or even a sign and trade where the lakers trade Rui for Camara would be amazing for the Lakers.
Possible trade structure: Rui Hachimura or Vanderbilt + knecht and draft value, or a larger package if needed
Why he fits: defense and physicality, shooting
Difficulty: not cheap
Josh Green
Green is a more realistic trade target than some of the dream names.
He has point of attack traits, decent size and enough shooting indicators to be playable. His 2025 defensive data was strong, and his 2026 profile was still solid. His advanced defensive numbers dropped a bit since going to Charlotte but this could very well be because he now plays in charlotte. Even so the numbers are still decent and he is a good shooter. He makes almost 15 million dollars so trading for him is probably doable. He also is an expiring contract so if Charlotte thinks he will walk he might be available in the offseason or at the deadline.
The question is offensive impact. He is not solving creation. But he can be a rotation defender.
Possible trade structure: Vanderbilt based salary swap maybe with knecht or a second.
Why he fits: point of attack defense and age
Difficulty: realistic if his team wants flexibility
Caleb Martin
Probably not the guy many people expected me to put in this list. And to be fair he is far from perfect. Martin is more of a short term bet that we could try to get for cheap or in a bigger deal. His 2026 role was smaller, but his defensive profile was still good. He can guard, cut, and play physical basketball and shoot. He shot only 35.1% from 3 last season, and his carreer average is 35.9. However his catch and shoot percentage is way better. 38.8% last season, 41.3% last season. He can make shots from 3, you can’t really leave him open. Next to passers like Luka, Reaves and LeBron that might be all you need. Defensively his advanced numbers are still good. 86th percentile in D-LEBRON, 69th (nice) percentile in D-RAPTOR, 84th percentile in defensive playmaking, 90th percentile in passing lane defense, 97th in off ball chaser defense and 97th percentile in perimeter isolation defense. His perimeter isolation defense has been very consistant the past few years, the others have gone up a bit this season. That is probably in part because he played a smaller role. Still he was, and should be at least above average in each of those categories next season, and he will probably be very good as a poa still. The biggest negative here is his contract. He is making 10 million next season, and 9.3 million in 2027-2028. That is probably to much for him right now. His fairsalary number for the past 2 seasons sees him as a minimum guy, which makes sense. However the Lakers also have an overpaid guy on the roster in vanderbilt. If no other deals are available, the Lakers could try to trade vanderbilt for Martin that would make a lot of sense for the Lakers, as at least Martin has some offensive ability and he earns slightly less. A bigger deal where the Lakers trade for Gafford and also get Martin as a throw in could also work here.
Possible trade structure: Vanderbilt, or bigger deal including Gafford.
Why he fits: playoff wing experience
Difficulty: seems realistic, though it depends on if the Mavs want to trade with the lakers at all.
Royce O’Neale
Royce is a veteran version of the same idea.
He is not a perfect target, but he can defend multiple positions, shoot well, and play in structured playoff lineups. His advanced defensive numbers are not amazing, but he is above average in almost every one of them for multiple seasons in a row. How good he is at them depends on the season, and that is probably because of both team contruction and defensive role. At the very least he would be a defensive upgrade over Kennard, while still bringing the same type of shooting threat. I could see a midseason trade where Kennard and Royce get swapped. I think Kennard is a slightly better offensive player, and he is a bit younger. So there is value there for the Suns. If the suns want to start a rebuild, or a third team is available, a trade for vanderbilt with a pick could also work.
Possible trade structure: salary match with Vanderbilt or midseason deal with Kennard.
Why he fits: veteran wing minutes, shooting, brings some defense.
Difficulty: depends on price
Naji Marshall
Another Mavs player, which is kinda funny actually. Marshall is not a great shooter, but he gives size, secondary ball handling, toughness and defense. He makes only 9 million and is on the last year of his deal. The mavs were bad which put him into more of an offensive role than he should probably get used for. Still over the past 3 seasons he shot over 36% from 3 on wide open shots, which is better than someone like Vanderbilt, and when his shot quality was high in 2024 he shot 38.7%. He would be a bit of a gamble though offensively, but as LeBron’s backup he probably brings value. He can pass a bit, create for himself when needed, ranks 91st percentile in perimeter isolation defense. So there is some value. I would not overpay for him, but he is worth monitoring if the Lakers miss on better wing targets, or again in a bigger deal or just to dump Vanderbilt.
Possible trade structure: Vanderbilt or bigger deal.
Why he fits: physical wing depth
Difficulty: realistic
The ideal offseason scenario
This is the best version.
LeBron takes the minimum.
Smart opts in.
Ayton opts in.
Reaves agrees to a front loaded or flat five year deal, but signs last.
The Lakers either re-sign Rui at a tradeable number or replace him with a better two way forward.
Then they use cap space on real playoff archetypes.
Ideal Plan A: keep Rui, add defense, add a lob big
Internal moves:
LeBron signs for the minimum.
Smart opts in at $5.4 million.
Ayton opts in at $8.1 million.
Reaves agrees to 5 years, $190 million to $200 million, signed last.
Rui re-signs at around $13 million to $14 million starting salary.
LaRavia stays.
Vanderbilt is shopped, but not dumped.
Knecht is available only in a real trade.
External targets:
Keon Ellis or Jordan Goodwin as the cheap defensive guard.
Dean Wade as the forward target if the money works.
Robert Williams or Mitchell Robinson as the center target.
Luke Kennard only if the price is right and the room exception is still available.
What this team needs most:
One more point of attack defender.
One better lob and rim threat.
One more forward who can defend without killing spacing.
This version gives the Lakers depth and optionality. Rui stays as a shooting forward and tradeable salary. Ayton stays as a bridge center. Robert Williams or Mitchell Robinson gives them a different physical rim pressure look. Smart and Keon or Goodwin give them real defensive guard options.
If Ayton is still not the right fit by February, he becomes a trade chip.
If Rui’s defensive fit doesn’t improve, he can become a trade chip.
If LaRavia’s shot does not recover, he becomes a trade chip.
That is how you build flexibility without punting the season.
Ideal Plan B: let Rui walk, spend bigger on defense
Internal moves:
LeBron signs for the room exception.
Smart opts in.
Ayton opts in.
Reaves signs last.
Rui walks only because the Lakers already have replacements lined up.
Cap space targets:
Mitchell Robinson or Robert Williams
Dean Wade
Ayo Dosunmu
Keon Ellis or Quentin Grimes
This is probably the cleanest basketball build if Rui’s market gets too expensive.
A possible version:
Mitchell Robinson at around $15 million
Dean Wade at around $11 million to $13 million
Ayo Dosunmu at around $15 million to $17 million
Reaves signed last
LeBron on room exception
That team would have more defense, more center physicality and more lineup balance.
The downside is losing Rui’s shooting and playoff shot making. That is why I would not choose this path unless the replacements are secured.
Scenario 2: LeBron takes the room exception
If LeBron takes the room exception, the Lakers still have a great path, but they cannot use the room exception on anyone else.
That means every real addition has to come from cap room or trades.
Best version:
Smart opts in.
Ayton opts in.
Rui is either re-signed early at a lower number or renounced.
The Lakers spend cap room on two or three rotation pieces.
LeBron takes the room exception.
Reaves signs last.
If Rui stays:
The Lakers probably have to be more selective.
The best path would be:
Rui at $13 million to $14 million
Robert Williams around $12 million to $15 million
Keon Ellis or Jordan Goodwin in the $5 million range
Maybe a cheaper shooter
Reaves last
If Rui walks:
The Lakers can aim higher.
Best target mix:
Mitchell Robinson
Dean Wade
Ayo Dosunmu or Quentin Grimes
Reaves last
This version is still very good. It just puts more pressure on the cap room signings because the room exception is going to LeBron.
Scenario 3: LeBron takes $20 million to $25 million
This is still workable, but the Lakers lose a lot of room.
If LeBron takes $20 million to $25 million, the Lakers probably cannot keep Rui at a meaningful number and also add multiple external rotation pieces.
They need to choose.
Path 3A: keep Rui
LeBron at around $20 million to $25 million
Rui at around $13 million to $14 million
Smart opts in
Ayton opts in
Reaves last
Use remaining cap room on one target
Use room exception
Best target combinations:
Keon Ellis
Dean Wade plus minimum center
Robert Williams plus cheap guard
Quentin Grimes plus cheap big
This is safer from an asset management standpoint, but less aggressive.
Path 3B: let Rui walk
LeBron at around $20 million to $25 million
Rui renounced
Smart and Ayton opt in
Use cap room on one major player and one smaller piece
Best combinations:
Mitchell Robinson plus Keon Ellis
Robert Williams plus Dean Wade
Ayo Dosunmu plus Jaxson Hayes
Quentin Grimes plus a cheap center
This is probably better if the Lakers trust the free agent targets more than Rui.
Scenario 4: LeBron takes the max
This is the least ideal basketball path.
If LeBron takes the (near) max, the Lakers cannot operate as a major cap space team.
That means the offseason becomes about:
Re-signing Reaves.
Keeping or reworking Smart and Ayton.
Re-signing Rui and potentially trade him later.
Using exceptions carefully.
Trading Vanderbilt.
Using Knecht in the right deal.
Finding minimum and bargain players.
The best max LeBron path is trade based.
Trade targets become more important:
Luguentz Dort
Josh Green
Caleb Martin
Royce O’Neale
Naji Marshall
Clint Capela
Goga Bitadze
Daniel Gafford, if somehow available
This is not impossible. But it is much harder.
The Lakers would be trying to build a contender without the same ability to add external talent outright.
That is why LeBron’s discount is the whole summer.
What I would do with Smart and Ayton
Marcus Smart
Best outcome: he opts in at $5.4 million.
If he opts out, I would try to offer a 1 plus 1 deal around the same number or slightly more.
Smart could probably get more based on how he played. But for the Lakers, the value is flexibility. I think Smart wants to win so I can definately see him taking this discount.
My Smart line:
Ideal: opt in
Acceptable: 1 plus 1, $6 million to $8 million annually
Danger zone: long term deal above $10 million annually
Deandre Ayton
Best outcome: he opts in at $8.1 million, or he walks and the Lakers find a better replacement.
At that number, he is useful. He can start. He can be a bridge. He can be traded later.
If he opts out and wants more, which is likely, I get cautious. Ayton’s fit with Luka is not perfect. He is efficient, but he is not the exact vertical lob monster that maximizes Luka. He also does not stretch the floor, and his defensive impact was more mixed than his box score suggests.
My Ayton line:
Ideal: opt in at $8.1 million
Acceptable: short deal around $10 million to $12 million
Danger zone: long term deal above $14 million annually
If Ayton returns at a manageable number and the Lakers later find a better center, trade him at the deadline.
The trade asset board
Players I would actively shop now:
Jarred Vanderbilt
His salary is too high for his offensive limitations. I would move him now if it brings back a balanced defender or center. If not, wait until the deadline.
Dalton Knecht
I would not dump him, but he can absolutely be used in a good trade. If he does not improve defensively by the deadline, I would move him.
Players I would not trade YET unless needed in a major deal:
Jake LaRavia
The shot is the swing skill. Give him time.
Players I would sign or keep partly because they can become trade salary:
Rui Hachimura
Only if the number is tradeable.
Luke Kennard
Only if short and reasonable.
Deandre Ayton
Only if cheap or short.
This is how good teams operate. Not every contract has to be a forever contract. Some contracts are useful because they preserve the ability to make the next move.
My ideal Lakers target board
Tier 1: best realistic free agent targets
1. Mitchell Robinson
Best center fit if healthy. Gives Luka lob pressure, offensive rebounding and rim protection.
2. Robert Williams III
Best upside swing. Elite defender and lob threat, but medical risk decides the contract.
3. Dean Wade
Best clean forward fit. Shoots enough, defends, does not need touches.
4. Keon Ellis
Best cheap point of attack target. Low usage defender who can fit next to Luka and Reaves.
5. Ayo Dosunmu
Best secondary guard target. Shooting improved, can handle, can run bench offense, has some defense.
6. Quentin Grimes
Useful shooting guard option with defense, if the number stays reasonable.
7. Jordan Goodwin
Underrated defense and activity target at a low price.
8. Luke Kennard
Elite shooting, but only if the defensive cost and salary are manageable and tradable.
9. Matisse Thybulle
Elite defense specialist if the Lakers believe he can stay healhy enough or he comes cheap.
Tier 2: good backup free agent options
Simone Fontecchio
Kevin Huerter
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Gary Payton II
Bruce Brown
Jock Landale
Zach Collins
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Andre Drummond
Tyus Jones
Seth Curry
Tim Hardaway Jr.
These are not all equal players. The fit depends on what the Lakers already solved. If they already have defense, they can add shooting. If they already have shooting, they need defense. If they already have a center, they should not spend the room exception on another backup big.
Tier 3: aggressive restricted free agent swings
Mark Williams
Walker Kessler
Tari Eason
Peyton Watson
Jalen Duren
These are harder because restricted free agency can waste time and cap room. I like several of these players, but the Lakers have to be careful. If you chase an offer sheet and it gets matched, the market can move while your money is tied up.
The best RFA fit might be Mark Williams because of the Luka lob threat.
The best defensive center fit is Walker Kessler, and he is probably my preferred choice, even though Mark Williams might be the better lob threat.
The best wing archetype fits are Tari Eason and Peyton Watson.
The least realistic is Jalen Duren, because Detroit should match anything reasonable.
Trade target board
Dream trade targets
Deni Avdija
Herbert Jones
Luguentz Dort
Alex Caruso
Toumani Camara
Daniel Gafford
These are the players who would change the Lakers’ playoff ceiling. They are also the hardest to get.
More realistic trade targets
Josh Green
Caleb Martin
Royce O’Neale
Naji Marshall
Clint Capela
Goga Bitadze
Sam Hauser, if somehow available
Oso Ighodaro, if the Lakers want a cheap developmental big
These are the types of players the Lakers should be calling about using Vanderbilt, Knecht, LaRavia, Ayton, Rui, or Kennard salary depending on what happens in free agency.
What the final rotation should look like
The Lakers should be trying to build toward this structure:
Star creators:
Luka Doncic
Austin Reaves
LeBron James
Primary defensive guards and wings:
Marcus Smart
One of Keon Ellis, Jordan Goodwin, Quentin Grimes, Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, or Josh Green, maybe Ayo Dosonmu though he isn’t really a primary defensive guard.
Two way forwards:
1 of Dean Wade, Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Herbert Jones, Toumani Camara, Caleb Martin, or Royce O’Neale
Centers:
Keep Jaxson Hayes and add at least 1 of Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams, Daniel Gafford, Clint Capela, Goga Bitadze, Mark Williams, or Walker Kessler. Depening on who you get Keeping Ayton as well can work.
Shooting specialist:
Luke Kennard, Kevin Huerter, Simone Fontecchio, Sam Merrill, Seth Curry, or Tim Hardaway Jr.
That is the roster build.
Not just names.
Roles.
My favorite exact offseason plans
Plan 1: the dream balanced build
LeBron takes the minimum.
Smart opts in.
Ayton opts in.
Reaves signs last on a front loaded deal.
Rui re-signs around $13 million to $14 million.
Sign Robert Williams on a protected short deal, or (sign and) trade for a better big like Jarrett Allen or Kessler (in this case we can also let Ayton walk.
Sign Keon Ellis.
Use remaining room or cap mechanics on Kennard or even better Dosunmu.
Shop Vanderbilt immediately.
Keep LaRavia for now.
Keep Knecht for now unless he is needed for a good trade.
Why I like it:
This keeps shooting, adds defense, adds lob pressure, and preserves trade flexibility.
Plan 2: the aggressive no Rui build
LeBron takes the room exception or minimum.
Smart opts in.
Ayton opts in.
Rui walks because the replacement is secured.
Sign Mitchell Robinson or Robert Williams.
Sign Dean Wade.
Sign Ayo Dosunmu and Quentin Grimes.
Reaves signs last.
Try to move Vanderbilt for another defensive wing, guard or better big.
Why I like it:
This is the cleanest basketball build. It gives the Lakers defense, size, rim pressure and another guard who can function without overusing LeBron.
Plan 3: the trade heavy build
LeBron takes $20 million to $25 million.
Smart opts in.
Ayton opts in.
Reaves signs last.
Rui is either kept at a tradeable number.
Trade Vanderbilt plus Knecht for a real defender.
Target one of Dort, Josh Green, Caleb Martin, Royce O’Neale, or a similar wing.
Use remaining money/exceptions on Robert Williams, or another center.
Why I like it:
This is more realistic if LeBron does not take the room exception or minimum. It is not as explosive, but it can still work if the trade is good.
Plan 4: the max LeBron survival plan
LeBron takes the max.
Reaves re-signs.
Smart and Ayton are retained.
Rui is kept.
Kennard is kept.
Vanderbilt is shopped.
Knecht is used only for a real upgrade.
The Lakers chase trades and bargain signings.
Why I do not love it:
It leaves the Lakers too dependent on trades. It can still work, but it is the hardest path. At this point the Lakers will probably play untill the deadline and than try to make multiple trades for Vanderbilt, Kennard and maybe Rui and ayton to get more defense and a better big.
