Lakerholics

While most pundits believe the Lakers’ greatest roster need is for an elite starting 3&D wing, there’s a good argument a quality starting rim protector or lethal volume 3-point shooting guard could be equally as important.

Fortunately, a bigger legitimate 3&D wing is not the only roster upgrade that would give the Lakers a better chance to compete for a championship this season while they wait until next summer for a complete rebuild. Besides a starting small forward to shut down wing scorers, the Lakers also need a starting center to protect the rim and space the floor and a lethal high volume 3-point shooter to transform the offense into a juggernaut.

Sunday night’s Knicks game was a harsh reminder of how bad Rob Pelinka has been as a general manager in embracing analytics and repairing the Lakers’ broken 3-point shooting schemes and poor rim protection rotation.
Right now the Lakers 35.1 3-point attempts per game and their 4.8 blocks per game rank 23rd out of the 30 teams in the league. In their losses, the Lakers 34.5 3PA per game and 3.4 blocks per game plummeted to 29th.

The persistent failure of Rob Pelinka to make impact moves every trade deadline or offseason is prima facia proof of his malpractice and ineptness as the Lakers’ primary decision maker. Mark Walter needs to fire him.
The Lakers want to be able to offer 3 tradable first round picks on draft day next summer so the strategy for these 4 trades is to include their 2031 unprotected first but require a protected first round pick in return.

The Lakers are consistently losing 3-point shooting and points-in-the-paint differentials by 10 points per game. Here are 4 out-of-the-box trades that dramatically improve the Lakers’ 3-point shooting and points-in-the-paint.

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1. BROOKLYN NETS’ MICHAEL PORTER JR

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Michael Porter Jr, SF, 27, 6′ 10″, 7′ 0″, 218 lbs, 2-yrs $79.1M
25.6/7.3/3.2/0.3/1.1 in 33.1 mpg. 3P->3.8/9.6/39.8%

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MPJ could be a ‘stealth’ Lakers’ starting small forward target if they shift to fixing their 3-point shooting woes and the Nets agree to trade him and a protected pick for expiring contracts and the Lakers 2031 unprotected first.

At 6′ 10″ with a 7′ 0″ wingspan, Michael Porter, Jr. could be the ultimate ‘stealth’ candidate to be the Lakers’ starting small forward due to his deadly volume 3-point shooting and sneaky positional size and length defensively.
Frankly, Michael’s impressive positional size and length could be exactly what the Lakers need to stop the midrange jumpers opposing wing scorers consistently take and make over Lakers’ small guard-sized wing defenders.

When you consider the Lakers likely targets next summer are going to be defense first players like Walker Kessler and Peyton Watson, trading for MPJ and still having 3 picks to offer next summer would be perfect.
The vision is a Lakers’ starting lineup for next season with Luka Doncic at point guard, Austin Reaves at shooting guard, Michael Porter, Jr. at small forward, Peyton Watson at power forward, and Walker Kessler at center.

One of the major disappointments so far this season has been the Lakers inability to transform a 5-man lineup led by Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves into the legitimate offensive juggernaut they expected.
Trading for Michael Porter, Jr. looks like the kind of ‘stealth’ surprise move analytics-driven executives like Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi would pull off for the Dodgers. It could be the big move to unlock Luka Doncic.

Basketball is still won by putting the ball in the basket and the LA Lakers would be wise to focus on dramatically upgrading their 3-point shooting by trading for lethal volume 3-point shooter extraordinaire Michael Porter, Jr.

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2. MILWAUKEE BUCKS’ MYLES TURNER

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Myles Turner, CE, 29, 6′ 11″, 6′ 9″, 7″4″, 250 lbs, 4-yrs $108.7M
12.8/5.5/1.6/1.6/0.7 in 28.7 mpg. 3P->2.2/5.7/38.8%

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With the Bucks now committed to trading Giannis, the Lakers should offer Milwaukee their 2031 unprotected first round pick and expiring contracts for center Myles Turner and Portland’s 2030 protected first round pick.

The Lakers have long coveted Myles Turner, who’s the prototype for the modern two-way NBA center, a big who can protect the rim and defend in space on defense and create spacing vertically and horizontally on offense.
Key element of this trade is the swapping of the Lakers 2031 unprotected pick for a Blazers’ 2030 protected pick, which still allows the Lakers to be able to offer 3 first round picks in a mega trade on draft day next summer.

With Mark Walter already hiring Dodgers’ executives Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi to help the transition, the Lakers are finally going to fully embrace 3-point shooting and data-driven decision making of analytics.
The Lakers saw how having a center who can shoot the three helps Luka with spacing when they played Drew Timme. Having an established floor stretcher like Myles Turner would dramatically improve LA’s 3-point game.

Still only 29, Turner would be a perfect long-term fit with Luka’s game and timeline. The Lakers could have a tough sell to convince the Bucks to give them a protected first round pick for their 2031 unprotected first rounder.
Myles Turner’s ability to protect the rim and stretch the floor are perfect long-term fits for Luka Doncic and the Lakers and a perfect way to give the Lakers a long-shot opportunity to legitimately compete for a title this year.

The Lakers have had a broken center rotation since winning the 2020 championship. Trading for versatile Myles Turner could finally give the Lakers their modern starting offensive and defensive center of the future.

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3. ATLANTA HAWKS’ NICKEIL ALEXANDER-WALKER

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Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, 27, 6′ 5″, 6′ 9″, 205 lbs, 2-yrs $31.1M
20.3/3.5/3.4/0.6/1.1 in 33.0 mpg. 3P->3.1/8.2/38.4%

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The Lakers should offer Rui Hachimura and their 2031 unprotected first round pick for the Buck’s 2027 protected first round pick and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the ideal two-way 3&D backcourt mate for Luka Doncic.

The 27-year old Nickeil Alexander-Walker is an elite two-way player. On offense, he’s a dead-eye volume 3-point shooter who takes over 8 threes per game while on defense he blocks 0.6 shots and makes 1.1 steals per game.
The Lakers rank 23rd in the NBA in 3-point takes and makes. After trading for NAW, the Lakers would have 3 volume 3-point shooters as Doncic takes 10.4 3PA’s, Reaves 7.4 3PA’s, and Alexander-Walker 8.2 3PA’s per game.

For the Hawks, they get a lethal high percentage 3-point shooter with size in Hachimura plus another high value first round pick to use to get Giannis or another superstar player this summer to elevate the Hawks into the elite. First round picks are becoming more and more valuable under the new CBA with protections and how long before picks mature determining how valuable the draft capital is. Unprotected distant picks have most value.

While mostly playing shooting guard, Nickeil can also defend point guards and small forwards. He’s a better defender than Austin Reaves so he can defend the tougher of the shooting guard or small forward to help Austin.
The Lakers chances of stealing Nickeil Alexander-Walker from the Hawks is dependent upon how badly the Hawks want unprotected distant first round picks to put together a winning trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Lakers need another elite 3&D shooting guard like Nickeil Alexander-Walker who takes and makes high volume, high percentage 3-point shots and can defend multiple positions with high energy and physicality.

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4. DALLAS MAVERICKS’ DANIEL GAFFORD

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Daniel Gafford, CE, 27, 6′ 10″, 7′ 2″, 265 lbs, 4-yrs $68.7M
8.0/6.4/0.9/1.2/0.7 in 21.0 mpg. 3P->0.0/0.0/0.0%

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Getting the Mavs to agree to another trade with the Lakers won’t be easy but LA is willing to trade their 2031 unprotected first plus DeAndre Ayton and Jake LaRavia for Daniel Gafford and the Mavs’ protected 2027 first.

Ironically, finding a trade that works when the Mavs are hard capped at the second apron is extremely lucky. Usually, teams hard capped by the second apron have to involve a third team in order to consummate most trades.
This is an unusual trade that’s a tough win for both Lakers and Mavericks. Los Angeles solves its center problems, gets Luka’s preferred center, and still ends up with three first round picks on draft day next summer.

For Gafford, it’s an opportunity to get away from the rebuilding Mavs in Dallas and rejoin Luka Doncic in Los Angeles. LA giving up both their 2031 unprotected first round pick and young stud Jake LaRavia is a high price.
The Lakers simply cannot ignore an opportunity to get out of the dead end situation with Deandre Ayton and get a center in Daniel Gafford who’s a better fit as a rim protector and vertical lob threat than Deandre Ayton.

The chance to get another unprotected Lakers’ first round pick and a hot young stud like Jake LaRavia could be enough for the rebuilding Mavericks to swallow their pride and take what Lakers were willing to pay for Gafford.
Bottom line, the Mavs should feel a lot better about the Luka trade with two valuable unprotected Lakers’ first rounders and two promising young studs who are perfect fits for Cooper Flagg in Max Christie and Jake LaRavia.

Convincing Dallas to trade with LA again won’t be easy but a trade of the Lakers 2031 unprotected first, Deandre Ayton, and Jake LaRavia for Daniel Gafford and the Mavs protected 2027 first could make both teams better.

The Lakers have been looking to trade their 2031 or 2032 unprotected first round picks for three earlier protected picks from teams like the Thunder, Spurs, and Nets who could benefit from consolidating their excess picks.

Teams like the Thunder, Spurs, and Nets own more first round picks than they can ever use and face mounting pressure to consolidate their earlier lesser-value protected picks into later higher-value unprotected picks. These teams are also under constant pressure to move older higher paid players in order to create openings and opportunities for the waves of younger less expensive talent produced by their war chest of draft picks.

Reports are the Thunder are willing to move on from Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein due to salary cap considerations and the need to open up opportunities for their endless stream of younger, cheaper players.
The Spurs and Nets will soon be in the same situation as the Thunder. They will have more picks than they can use and will need to consolidate picks and create new opportunities for each new year’s draft class of players.

The Lakers should prepare offers for the Thunder, Spurs, and Nets that address their specific needs to consolidate their war chest of picks and trade older costlier players to open up spots for younger cheaper players.
What the Lakers should want for their unprotected 2031 first round pick is a pick worthy impact veteran player who fits Luka Doncic’s timeline and needs plus a pair of lesser-value earlier-year protected first round picks.

The Lakers need a guard to provide all-star level point-of-attack defense and centers to protect the rim and space the floor with 3-point shooting. Here are 4 Lakers trades for an impact player and first round pick(s):

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1. LUGUENTZ DORT & FIRST ROUND PICK

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The Lakers trade of Rui Hachimura and their 2031 unprotected first round pick to the Thunder for Luguentz Dort, Rockets’ 2026 protected first round pick, and Nuggets’ 2027 protected first round pick would be win-win trade.

The Lakers get the elite point-of-attack 3&D guard they need in 26-year old Luguentz Dort and convert their 2031 unprotected first round pick into two earlier protected first round picks they can use to sweeten additional deals.
Adding an 2025 first team all-defensive player like Dort for an offense-only player like Hachimura not only gives the Lakers a great point-of-attack defender but also avoids overpaying or losing Hachimura for nothing.

The Thunder successfully swapping Luguentz Dort’s 2-year deal for 27-year old Rui Hachimura’s expiring contract gives them an opportunity to reduce their rapidly growing salary cap as players start to receive big extensions.
As they identify and pay their future superstars and stars, the Thunder will be under constant pressure to move older more expensive players to make room for the younger less expensive players joining from every draft.

The Thunder trade is just a key first step for the Lakers. It not only adds Dort but gives the Lakers 2 protected first round picks to use as sweeteners to move one-way players on expiring salary for impact two-way players.
The Lakers could use those 2 first round picks and expiring contracts to trade for a 3&D guard like Keon Ellis and a 3&D wing like Andrew Wiggins or save both until next draft day when they could have 4 first round picks.

Landing elite 3&D guard Luguentz Dort and a pair of 2026 and 2027 protected first round picks for their 2031 unprotected first round pick would elevate the LA Lakers to legitimate championship contenders.

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2. ISAIAH HARTENSTEIN & FIRST ROUND PICK

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The Lakers swapping Hachimura, Vincent, and their 2031 unprotected first round pick to the Thunder for Isaiah Hartenstein, Rockets’ 2026 protected first, and Nuggets’ 2027 protected first would also be a win-win trade.

The Lakers get an elite shot blocking, rim protector in 27-year old Isaiah Hartenstein and convert their 2031 unprotected first round pick into two earlier protected first round picks they can turn around and trade.
Adding an elite defensive starting center in Hartenstein who can anchor the Lakers’ defense and protect the rim for a pair of offense-first players like Hachimura and Vincent could transform the Lakers defensively.

The Thunder successfully trading Isaiah Hartenstein’s 2-year deal for Rui Hachimura’s and Gabe Vincent’s expiring contracts gives OKC an excellent opportunity to upgrade their front court with a younger cheaper player.
Right now, the Thunder’s greatest area of vulnerability is their front court, which struggles against bigger and more physical opposing front courts. The Thunder could be planning for a major upgrade at center position.

Like the Dort trade, the Hartenstein trade gives the Lakers additional trade capital in the form of two protected late first round picks that LA can use to sweeten deals for expiring contracts to surround Luka with right players.
The Lakers can use one or both picks before the deadline to up the team’s chances to win a championship with Luka and LeBron this year or save the two picks until next summer when they could offer 4 first round picks.

Trading Hachimura, Vincent, and their 2031 unprotected first round pick for Hartenstein and a pair of 2026 and 2027 protected first round picks could transform the LA Lakers’ team defense from bottom-10 to top-10.

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3. NICOLAS CLAXTON & FIRST ROUND PICK

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The Lakers swap of Vincent, Kleber, Ayton, and their 2031 unprotected first round pick to the Nets for Nicolas Claxton, Rockets’ 2027 protected first, and Knicks’ 2027 protected first would also qualify as a win-win trade.

The Lakers get an elite shot blocking, rim protector in 26-year old Nicolas Claxton and convert their 2031 unprotected first round pick into two earlier protected first round picks which they can use to sweeten more trades.
Landing an elite starting center in Claxton who can anchor the Lakers’ defense and protect the rim for two players on expiring contracts and a center they want to move on from could transform the Lakers defensively.

The Nets get two players with expiring contracts that will enable them to create cap space to empower them to acquire more draft picks for taking on bad contracts from teams needing to clean up their salary cap space.
Brooklyn also gets a chance to dump Claxton’s contract and consolidate two 2027 lesser-value protected first round picks the Nets got from the Rockets and Knicks into a higher-value Lakers’ 2031 unprotected first round pick.

The beauty of this trade is that it not only brings in a new center in Nic Claxton but also gets rid of the old center in Deandre Ayton, avoiding the problem of his looming $8 million player option for the 2026–27 season.
The Nets trade also gives the Lakers a pair of protected first round picks to use before the deadline to sweeten trades to fill other critical roster needs or to save so they can offer 4 first round picks on draft day next summer.

Trading Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, Deandre Ayton, and their 2031 unprotected first round pick to Nets for Nicolas Claxton and a pair of 2027 protected first round picks could transform the Lakers defensively.

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4. KELLY OLYNYK & FIRST ROUND PICK

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The Lakers trade of Vincent, Knecht, and their 2031 unprotected first round pick to Spurs for Kelly Olynyk, Spurs’ 2026 protected first, Hawks’ 2027 protected first, and Spurs’ 2028 protected first would be a win-win trade.

While 34-year old Kelly Olynyk is not the obvious impact player the younger Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, or Nic Claxton are, the Lakers saw with Drew Timme how a versatile stretch big could impact the team’s spacing.
The Lakers need a floor spacing big with the smarts to know when to put the ball on the floor and when and where to pass, which is exactly what the Lakers would get with Kelly Olynyk. Plus they get 3 protected picks back.

The Lakers also need positional size. Olynyk gives them a legitimate 7-footer who can play alongside any center in the league in a 2-bigs lineup. Kelly’s not an elite shot blocker but can move feet and defend in space.
Olynyk is also a perfect small ball center who can pass, dribble, and shoot the ball and is comfortable defending in the paint or on the perimeter. Kelly would upgrade the Lakers’ front court strength and versatility.

The Spurs receive a two-way 3&D guard on an expiring contract who can get hot from deep in Gabe Vincent and a longshot gamble on a young potential lethal 3-point shooter who needs a fresh start in Dalton Knecht.
Additionally, the Spurs get to consolidate 3 earlier protected first round picks into the Lakers 2031 unprotected first round pick. Unlike the other proposed Lakers trades, the Lakers get 3 picks back instead of just 2 picks.

Trading Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, and their 2031 unprotected first round pick for Kelly Olynyk and 3 earlier protected first round picks be a move that catapults the Lakers into becoming an offensive juggernaut.

Despite winning 4 of their last 5 games with the league’s 6th best offense, 10th best defense, and 6th best net rating, the Los Angeles Lakers suddenly have a serious Deandre Ayton problem to fix before the trade deadline.

Last night marked the third straight night JJ Redick had to pull Deandre Ayton from the court in the fourth quarter for not playing hard or making the right plays. It’s becoming increasingly obvious Ayton is not the answer. What the Lakers need at starting center is the prototypical modern NBA big who can anchor the defense with his mobility and shot blocking and open up the offense with his ability to space the floor horizontally and vertically.

Most analysts predict the Lakers will treat this as a gap year and only make minor moves at the deadline, saving their firepower until next summer when they could have 3 first round picks and $100 million in cap space.
Frankly, anybody who’s been paying attention to how the Dodgers operate should find the idea of Mark Walter willingly accepting a gap year with a healthy Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves as ridiculous.

Right now, the Lakers are beginning once again to look like a team only 2 or 3 elite role players away from being a legitimate championship contender with superstars Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves all healthy.
Starting tomorrow, JJ Redick should start Jaxson Hayes at center and bench Deandre Ayton. We would be smart to go to switch everything small ball to backup Hayes until we get a new starting center at the trade deadline.

If Mark Walter wants to run the Lakers like the Dodgers, he can turn LA’s 1 first round pick into 4 by trading their 2031 unprotected first to OKC for 3 protected firsts, including a 2027 pick to free up our 2026 and 2028 picks.
By expanding their draft capital, the Lakers can accelerate their rebuild around Luka Doncic and finally fixing their broken center rotation which was never replaced after winning the 2020 NBA bubble championship.

The Pelicans want 2 first round picks for Herb Jones. The Jazz reportedly want 3 first round picks for Walker Kessler. Expanding their draft capital is exactly the kind of outside-the-box thinking the Lakers have badly needed.
Redick suddenly has the Lakers playing like a team worth going all-in on. The Lakers right now are only an elite defensive starting and backup center and quality 3&D starting small forward away from being a contender.

Imagine whom the Lakers could acquire before the trade deadline with 4 first round picks and over $65 million in matching salaries. Expect the Mark Walter Lakers to start making moves like the Mark Walter Dodgers.

At the half way point of the season, analytics is telling the Lakers they’re a statistically bottom-10 team in four critical areas needed to play winning basketball: 3-point makes, field goal attempts, rebounds, and blocks.

Right now, the Lakers rank 23rd in 3-point shots made, 29th in field goals attempted, 26th in rebounds collected, and 27th in shots blocked. These are the four key areas the Lakers need to upgrade before the trade deadline. With offense-first stars, it’s no surprise the Lakers ranked 25th on defense. The shock was when the best the expected juggernaut Doncic, James, and Reaves offense could do was the 9th best offense with a -9.8 net rating.

The Lakers need a total roster makeover right now and not just one or two new players to be a legitimate contenders. They may also need to expand their draft capital, trade James or Reaves, and find a new center rotation.
They need volume 3-point shooting, positional front court size for better rebounding and rim protection, and more speed and athleticism to help upgrade their point of attack, offensive rebounding, and transition games.

The Lakers realistically have two promising opportunities to make major strides towards totally rebuilding the team’s starting lineup and rotation around transcendent 27-year old superstar point guard Luka Doncic.
The Lakers’ first opportunity to rebuild their roster would be via trades before the trade deadline and their second opportunity would be via signing multiple unrestricted and restricted free agents next summer.

Let’s look closer at the franchise-defining questions Lakers must answer and the strategies they need to successfully execute a roster makeover via mega trades before the deadline and signing of free agents next summer.

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Lakers’ Franchise-Defining Questions

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The Lakers need to answer several franchise-defining questions before they can properly plan and execute specific strategies and tactics to take advantage of the looming trade deadline and next summer’s free agency.

Heading the Lakers’ list of franchise-defining questions is what to do with LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Deandre Ayton. Unless things change, the Lakers plan to allow LeBron James’ contract to expire at end of season.
LeBron has 4 realistic options. He could retire, re-sign with the Lakers, sign with another NBA team, or waive his no-trade clause and request a trade. Barring winning #18, this season is most likely LeBron’s last as a Laker.

What to do with Austin Reaves is Lakers’ next franchise-defining question. Austin dramatically elevating his game to an All-Star level this season has ended most concerns if he and Luka could be a championship backcourt. Despite the redundancy in Doncic’s and Reaves’ games that makes building a two-way starting lineup challenging and the risk of overpaying or losing him for nothing to free agency, the Lakers are not going to trade Austin.

Finally, the Lakers have reached the point where they know they must move on from Ayton. LA needs a defense-first center to protect the rim but trading Deandre and his $8 million player option will be challenging.
Ideally, the Lakers must embrace analytics and build a center rotation that prioritizes protecting the rim and controlling the boards on defense and spacing the floor with 3-point shooting and vertical lob threats on offense.

Under Mark Walter’s ownership, LA has made franchise-defining decisions to allow LeBron James’ contract to expire, to pair Austin Reaves with Luka Doncic going forward, and to move on from Deandre Ayton at center.

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Lakers’ Trade Deadline Priorities

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While most pundits think the Lakers’ greatest need is for an elite starting 3&D wing like Herb Smith, the analytics are saying the quickest and easiest upgrade LA can make at both ends is replacing Deandre Ayton at center.

While some changes can wait until summer, it’s obvious the Lakers will not be a true title contender until they have a starting center to protect the rim, control the backboards, and space the floor horizontally and vertically. Lakers’ top priorities at the trade deadline should be to expand their draft capital so they can also trade for a modern starting center to protect the rim and space the floor and elite starting 3&D wing to play small forward.

LA could expand their tradable draft capital from 1 to 4 first round picks by trading their 2031 unprotected pick for three protected picks from OKC, including a 2027 pick that would let them trade their 2026 and 2028 picks.
That would allow the Lakers to trade their 2026 and 2028 picks plus 2 of the 3 first round picks they got from OKC while keeping a 2027 first round pick. This would give the Lakers 4 first round picks to trade at the deadline.

Ideally, the Lakers would use these 4 picks as sweeteners plus $65 million in matching salaries to trade for new starting and backup centers and new starting small forward before the looming February 5th trade deadline.
For example, LA could trade Ayton, Kleber, Vincent, Vanderbilt and 3 picks to Memphis for Jaren Jackson Jr., Knecht and 1 pick to Denver for Peyton Watson, and Hachimura to Portland straight up for Robert Williams.

That would leave the Lakers with a starting lineup of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Peyton Watson, LeBron James, and Jaren Jackson Jr. and enough cap space under the second apron to sign buyouts Middleton and Oubre Jr.

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Lakers’ Summer Free Agent Frenzy

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After deadline trades for a starting center, starting small forward and backup center, the Lakers could head into next summer with a free agency war chest of up to $100 million for their own and other teams’ free agents.

Lakers will use $45 million in cap space to give their free agents raises: Reaves to $30 million, Watson to $25 million, Williams to $9 million, Smart to $8 million, Hayes to $3 million, Smith Jr. and Timme to $2 million/year.
During the summer free agency, they will use an additional $35 million in cap space to sign Houston’s Tari Eason for $25 million per year, Kings’ Keon Ellis for $7.0 million per year , and Clippers’ Chris Paul $3 million per year.

The Lakers total payroll for the 2026–27 season will total $224.0 million, which is $260.9 thousand under the $223.7 million second apron. Starters will earn $178.8 million, backups $33.9 million, and reserves $12.2 million.
One policy the Mark Walter Lakers are likely to follow the same as the Mark Walter Dodgers is they will paying top salaries for every position but will limit the length of contracts to retain maximum optionality and versatility.

Mark Walter’s Dodgers treat MLB luxury taxes as necessary investments. The Lakers could open $13 million more in cap space by hard capping team at the $223.7 million second apron instead of the $210.7 million first apron.
The second apron is the final spending limit franchises can go into before facing severe team-building penalties. Those penalties are so competitively severe that the second apron essentially acts like the NBA’s hard cap.

Mark Walter’s goal is to complete the Lakers’ ownership and front office transition and finalize the total roster makeover that transforms the team into a legitimate NBA championship contender by the end of next summer.