It was a relatively quiet trade deadline for the Lakers, who were linked to a myriad of potential targets but ended up making just one relatively minor deal, sending Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick to Atlanta for Luke Kennard. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, general manager Rob Pelinka described the Lakers as being “aggressive” at the deadline while using a nontraditional definition of the term.
“One form of being aggressive is saying no to moves that come your way that might not be best for the short- and long-term future,” Pelinka said. “That’s like being aggressive, even though you end up doing nothing, because it’s hard to say no sometimes to getting a good player that could be a quick short-term fix, but could have implications for the long term where it doesn’t fit into the overall vision you have for the team.”
A source close to Luka Doncic tells ESPN that the All-Star guard supported the team’s focus on the “long-term picture” at the trade deadline. That “adherence to discipline” at the deadline could lead to an eventful summer, according to McMenamin, who notes that the club preserved its most valuable trade assets and its future cap flexibility and is in position to create more than $50MM in cap room even if Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart pick up their respective player options.
Here’s more from McMenamin on the Lakers’ plans going forward:
- That $50MM+ cap projection doesn’t account for LeBron James, but if he wants to continue his career in 2026/27, the Lakers would welcome him back, sources tell McMenamin. Pelinka has said before that he’d love for James to retire as a Laker, and that would apply in 2027, not just 2026, McMenamin writes. Still, one Eastern Conference executive who spoke to ESPN believes it would be in the team’s best long-term interests to move on from LeBron and focus on building around Doncic this offseason. “Let him walk and use the space to retool around Luka,” that exec said. “Keeping (Austin) Reaves is critical. (Doncic) plays best with another ball handler/creator like with Kyrie (Irving) and (Jalen) Brunson.”
- Heat forward Andrew Wiggins and Rockets wing Tari Eason are among the potential 2026 free agent targets the Lakers have discussed internally, per McMenamin, though it remains to be seen if either will actually be available — Wiggins holds a 2026/27 player option, while Eason will be a restricted free agent. Peyton Watson is another player the Lakers have on their radar, since the cap-strapped Nuggets would have to shed salary or go into second-apron territory to match an aggressive offer sheet for the RFA-to-be. “We felt like creating optionality or having optionality now is really a positive thing for us this coming offseason,” Pelinka said earlier this month. “Because there’s some teams that maybe have gotten too deep into the aprons. And I think players, we see around the league, become available when teams get in that position.”
- One rival front office member who spoke to ESPN suggested the Lakers need to “get as many defenders with length that can knock down a shot as possible.” Tobias Harris, Quentin Grimes, and Dean Wade are among the other players who fit that bill and who will be unrestricted free agents in 2026, McMenamin notes.
- Of course, while the Lakers would like to add quality role players to complement Doncic, they also believe they could be among the top suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo if the Bucks explore moving the star forward again this summer, team sources tell McMenamin. Los Angeles will have the ability to trade up to three first-round picks (2026, 2031, and 2033) in the offseason and one Western Conference executive told ESPN that he thinks Giannis is the “big prize” the club has its eye on.
There is absolutely nothing in the word, “aggressive” that would allow for “saying no” fitting into the definition. Even though this is an era of bold misstatements of fact being foisted on the public as truths, “saying no to moves” and ‘aggressive’ are utterly incompatible. Imagine George McClellan telling Lincoln that sitting his troops idle was aggressively attacking the Confederacy. Howls.
By not trading assesses for role players you are aggressively saving them for GA this summer. Maybe? (Or just spin)
Rob Pelinka is such a snake oil/used car salesman that this nonsense is right on brand from him. Jeanie is the only one still buying his spin I hope
The way Bron is playing. He is coming back for another year. Just don’t see it with Lakers.
Ayton and Smart are coming back . Cause they have good contracts for Lakers.
I like Grimes next to Luka. Probably cheaper too. Trading Reaves, trade assets, and cap room. Give the Lakers plenty of options next year. Don’t blow it.
Luka ain’t Stephs age, and if they think they can get it done with 3 back of the first future picks for Giannis they be smokin some rocks…
I think Luka will make numerous future all-NBA teams, he’ll have numerous great playoff moments & he’ll go on to have absolutely prolific rest of his career as far as incredible plays, All-Star seasons & hundreds of millions of $. But it’s getting harder & harder to see him making it back to the Finals (or even near it anytime soon) or perhaps even more tragically back to the medal rounds at EuroBasket, World Cup or the Olympics. I vividly remember when he won EuroBasket with Dragic the commentators continually saying how great Slovenia’s future in basketball would be. They have yet to win any knockout rd games in any international tournament since that. Obv this isn’t Luka’s fault. He’s been great in the league since Dallas’ Finals loss & he’s been great in FIBA with Slovenia. But just being realt the team results aren’t gonna be there & I’m wondering how that’s gonna sit.
Actually, Luka plays best with as many lob threats as possible.. Jaxon Hayes is clearly not good enough as he was denied of any minutes during last years playoffs.
The year Dallas made it to the finals Luka had gafford/lively at center, so we had a lab threat at all times from that position, plus an elite lob threat at the wing with d jones jr
DeAndre Ayton is on a very affordable contract and should be of positive trade value. Maybe they can get a mid round first and draft the young bouncy center, like Mavs did for Luka with lively
Lou Dort would be a good place to start for the Lakers.
Amen ! See below
Going too be a tough a$$ free agency to navigate that probably requires some outside luck …Lets get into it
The Targets
1- IHART – Biggest hurdle – The team option OKC employs first . Secondly – ATL and CHI would be on him BIG as well making it tough to even get a fair number…CHI SHOULD overpay here…He’d be a great fit tho, trap Luka 35 ft out hes a wonderful passer to run the 3v 2 at the ft line
2- Lou Dort – Biggest hurdle- Again OKC team option – Little more light comes thru the curtains here with McCain incoming and Lou just getting a new agent – IF we offered him a 4/100 he’d have about 82 million reasons to wiggle outta OKC with some behind the scenes asking out and massaging. I could see OKC obliging here
3- Andrew Wiggins- TBH Im only making this long term move if I can wrap up 1 of the 2 above. and pair them. He’s not worth abandoning 2027 great free agency alone.
** Grimes and Ayo are quality candidates but Im weary of stocking so much of the cap on just the Guards. Both would fit but would lead to an unbalanced cap sheet in the intermediate
Cap room exception full/chunk –
LBJ if he’s down obv…IF not BEST wishes
Sandro Mama..?….(Not attempting last name) – Toronto 4/5 versatile , great fit, adds toughness (severely needed) and shooting (severely needed as Rui is gone in my projections.
Keon Ellis- WE need D
Dean Wade- D from the 4 spot would be a new revelation in LA lol
Jordan Goodwin – Hustle, toughness
Vet Mins- Jock Lawndale, Luke Kennard, jax hayes (perhaps small bump over)
**** Lets stop with all the RFA’S — Kessler Watson Tari…You’d have to overpay so much it wouldn’t even be worth it in the end
IF they could nab Dort and Wiggins with the cap and Sando with the cap exception Id be pretty stoked moving forward especially if you could squeeze in Lawndale and Jax at the 5 to run a 3 man crew at C with Sandro
*** IM not into trading for Claxton ALLen Gafford Myles in all honesty…I think a better trade target would be Sharpe from Brooklyn if they could get an ext with him upon arrival and Brk is down for the 2026 1st rder and say Knecht’s expiring
Oh and Ayton opts out in all scenarios (fingers crossed)
Restricted free agents might be more available than ever with this cba. Payton Watson for example, Nuggets may not want to pay him. OKC looking at big payroll going forward.
Dort changed agents to Rich Paul recently, might be something to monitor.
The Lakers have been doing the same song and dance about finding 3 and D guys for a while now. It completely ignores their biggest issue – they’re built around high volume ball handlers that are turnstiles defensively. LeBron needs the ball – can’t defend. Luka needs the ball – can’t defend. Reaves needs the ball – can’t defend.
A handful of 3 and D guys cannot cover up their issues. LA is figuring out what Dallas already knew about Luka.
Giannis is the guy they should have their eye on. But I’m always skeptical of a team’s ability to use cap space as a major asset in a trade for a superstar.
Of course, a Giannis to the LAL trade could be something less than arms length. That’s a real possibility here if Giannis indicates he won’t sign an extension except with certain teams. An even better possibility for the LAL (as well as the NYK and other possible suitors) is that Giannis indicates that he is going to play out his contract and become a UFA the following summer. At some point, there will be another superstar UFA that isn’t a fossil. Maybe Giannis is the guy. If he really wants to win another title, then it’s his best move. It’s actually the best move for his eventual destination as well, although an appreciation of deferred gratification would be required.
Not happening.
Would the Bucks allow Giannis to walk as a FA if they know they can’t extend him?
If the Bucks trade Giannis to the Lakers I hope they get more than they got for Kareem. Just saying.