It’s July, and for any NBA team–especially one that entered with such high hopes as the Los Angeles Lakers this summer–it’s usually a time to be optimistic, to keep a focus on the best-case scenarios and not to get overly worried about the glaring holes in the roster or the upcoming troubles that might loom for the franchise. The Lakers have overhauled the roster, and if all goes well, Luka Doncic will average 35 points per game, Austin Reaves will be an All-Star and Walker Kessler will win Defensive Player of the Year (optimistically).
That’s not too much to ask, right?
Ah, but there is some harsh reality lingering for the Lakers, despite an active and aggressive summer. They’ve done a lot, but maybe did not accomplish all that much. This is a team that needs defense and perimeter shooting above all else, the two role-player strengths that most support Doncic.
They got big upside in terms of interior defense with the addition of Kessler. But the other primary moves–Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and now backup big man Kevon Looney–are iffy propositions.
Lakers Built Plans Around Luka Doncic
This is significant in a Luka Doncic context because, all along, one of the issues facing the Lakers is whether they can quickly re-assemble a lineup that highlights Doncic’s strengths and masks his weaknesses. That’s because, even though Doncic is less than a year removed from signing an extension with the Lakers, he is also a year away from being in position to request a trade–he can be a free agent in the summer of 2028, giving him some leverage in the deal.
The Lakers know this. The front office’s original plan was to keep much of last year’s team (which had a 16-2 stretch when everyone was healthy) together, but that plan fell apart when it was clear that there were not enough big-man options on the market. That forced the team to change priorities.
Luke Doncic Trade Request Would Be a ‘Disaster’
The Lakers this summer are operating like a team that needs to get on Doncic’s good side. As one Western Conference executive said: “If they were to lose Luka Doncic next year, if he wants out, that would be the absolute disaster scenario. So, everything they have tried to do has been all about adding pieces that give them a Luka-type of team.
“But I just don’t know if it is good enough, in the West especially.”
That sentiment was echoed by another NBA executive. Maybe the Lakers are better suited to Doncic now, they noted, but that is not necessarily going to make them better. “I think they bent over backwards to get a certain type of guy but, look, the reality is that the West is really hard,” the exec said. “And they’re maybe No. 6, No. 7. Luka staying or going will depend on what they do on the floor, that was always going to be the case. I am sure he is happy with the direction, but it is always going to be about the results.”
Lakers Facing Tough Western Conference
Indeed, the road ahead is still hard for the Lakers. They are working to make more moves to strengthen the roster, which was left really thin on the wing–one of the most important positions in today’s NBA. If the Lakers want to keep building a Doncic-centric team, they need an elite 3-and-D wing with athleticism, and their best answer to this point is to gamble on Jonathan Kuminga.
That might not be enough. The Lakers are not good enough to get past Oklahoma City and San Antonio. They’re probably not good enough to get past Denver, Minnesota or Houston, either. Phoenix and Utah may be threats, but realistically, the Lakers’ ceiling is likely No. 6 in the West in 2026-27.
But is that good enough to keep Doncic happy?
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