The Los Angeles Lakers enter the offseason with two clear priorities when it comes to improving the roster.
Adding a starting-caliber wing and strengthening the frontcourt.
Lakers reporter Jovan Buha has repeatedly stated that the organization should focus on upgrading those two key areas this summer.
While the NBA Draft provides the first opportunity to add depth at both positions, free agency and the trade market are expected to offer the best path toward securing immediate-impact talent.
Lakers Could Target Kelly Oubre Jr. In Free Agency
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus recently suggested that Luke Kennard “seems likely to return,” but that is unlikely to prevent Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ revamped front office from continuing their search for additional wing depth.
New Orleans Pelicans forwards Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones have frequently been linked to Los Angeles, while Peyton Watson and Cam Johnson have also emerged as potential targets.
Another name beginning to surface in speculation is Philadelphia 76ers wing Kelly Oubre Jr.
“Unfortunately for the 76ers, who desperately need him back, one team is perfectly positioned to snatch him away from their grasps –– the Los Angeles Lakers,” The Sixer Sense’s Nicolas Kyle Pring wrote.
“Now fully invested in Luka Doncic, who was an MVP contender yet again this season, LA has robust spending power in free agency. And given their roster needs, they will most definitely entertain the idea of going after Oubre, who turned in arguably his most impactful two-way season yet as a pro with the 76ers in the 2025-26 campaign.”
Across 50 games this season, Oubre averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 46.7% from the field and 36.0% from three-point range.
The 30-year-old profiles as the type of athletic two-way wing the Lakers could look to place alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and potentially LeBron James should he return next season.
LA Weighing Multiple Paths to Wing Upgrades
Oubre recently completed a two-year, $16.3 million contract that paid him $8.3 million during the 2025-26 season.
After previously earning between $12 million and $15 million annually during stops with the Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns, he appears well-positioned to secure a more lucrative deal this summer.
With the potential for significant salary cap flexibility, the Lakers could emerge as a legitimate suitor.
However, several moving pieces will ultimately determine how aggressive Los Angeles can be in free agency.
Questions remain surrounding James’ contract situation, the size of a potential extension for Reaves, and the futures of Kennard, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, and Marcus Smart, with Ayton and Smart both holding player options.
Meanwhile, NBA reporter Evan Sidery recently reinforced the Lakers’ reported interest in Herbert Jones, claiming the franchise is “zeroing in” on the Pelicans forward as a trade target this offseason.
Sidery also floated a trade framework that would send Jones and Yves Missi to Los Angeles without involving Trey Murphy III.
In that proposal, New Orleans would receive Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and a 2031 first-round pick.
Whether Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office are prepared to part with multiple future draft assets remains uncertain, particularly as the organization balances the desire to improve the current roster with maintaining long-term roster-building flexibility.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Lakers Tipped as Landing Spot for $16 Million Polarizing Two-Way Wing appeared first on HEAVY.