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Lakers Massive Summer Makeover! Giannis Or Kessler, Watson, Eason?

February 11, 2026

Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers have shifted their massive roster makeover to next summer when they’ll have 3 first round picks to trade and $60 million in cap space for other teams’ free agents.

Mark Walter plans to completely overhaul the Lakers front office this summer, expanding a front office and scouting department that had just a handful of people to a fully grown organization with a staff of over 100. The goal is to build a world class front office and championship scouting department for the Los Angeles Lakers that’s modeled after what Mark Walter’s crew built after buying the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2012.

While Rob Pelinka claims Jeanie Buss and he will be running the Lakers going forward with support from Mark Walter, the more realistic view is the team’s days of being run like a family business are already long gone.
By summer, Buss and Pelinka will be quickly be assimilated into a new expanded Lakers’ executive team along with the brightest and best front office, data analytics, and team building minds Mark Walter’s could buy.

While Walter will give Pelinka and Redick a chance to show they deserve to keep their jobs, their future is understandably tied to this roster and how well this team finishes the season and how deep they go into the playoffs.
Frankly, the Lakers may need to make the conference finals to save Rob’s and JJ’s jobs and earn them a shot to pull off the massive summer rebuild. LA needs their GM and coach of the future calling next summer’s shots.

Armed with 3 first round picks and $60 million cap space, the Lakers have two potential directions next summer: trade for Antetokounmpo or try to steal restricted free agents Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, and Tari Eason.

TRADING FOR ANTETOKOUNMPO

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, 31, 6′ 11″, 7′ 3″, 243 lbs, 3-yrs $175.4M
28.0/10.0/5.6/0.7/0.9 in 29.2 mpg. 3P->0.5/1.3/39.5%

…

One thing that won’t change with Mark Walter as owner of the Lakers is their legendary obsession with chasing superstars. The Lakers’ #1 priority this summer is to make a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Like Jerry Buss, Mark Walter firmly believes superstars are key to financial success in professional sports and transformed the Dodgers into an MLB juggernaut by relentlessly upgrading every position with superstar players.
The Lakers will not be able to replicate the Dodgers’ strategy because NBA salary cap rules make it almost impossible for teams to afford to build deep championship rosters while having to pay for more than two max salaries.

Franky, trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo should not be the Lakers’ top priority this summer because the odds of it happening are miniscule. LA is a long way from Greece and Giannis still wants to be his team’s alpha dog.
The only way the Lakers could win a Giannis trade this summer would be if he demanded to traded to them, they included Austin Reaves, and they were able to transform their 3 unprotected picks into 9 protected picks.

The Lakers will probably make a concerted effort this summer to expand their draft capital by swapping unprotected first round picks for multiple protected picks. Expect other teams to follow a similar strategy with picks.
The recent tactics by teams like the Thunder, Spurs, and Nets of building massive stockpiles of future first round and second round picks have reduced the number but increased the value of the picks other teams have.

As fascinating as it would be to see Luka Doncic paired up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Lakers would be smarter to pursue three elite elite younger players like Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, and Tari Eason.

STEALING KESSLER, WATSON, & EASON

Walker Kessler, CE, 24, 7′ 0″, 7′ 6″, 245 lbs, 1-yr $4.9M
14.4/10.8/3.0/1.8/1.4 in 30.8 mpg. 3P->1.2/1.6/75.0%

Peyton Watson, SF, 23, 6′ 8″, 7′ 1″, 200 lbs, 1-yr $4.4M
14.9/4.9/2.0/1.2/1.9 in 30.7 mpg. 3P->1.5/3.7/41.7%

Tari Eason, PF, 23, 6′ 8″, 7′ 2″, 215 lbs, 1-yr $5.47M
12.4/6.3/1.4/0.6/1.3 in 25.0 mpg. 3P->2.2/4.7/47.8%

…

With 3 first-round picks and $60 million cap space, the Lakers are planning a massive summer free agency makeover by stealing 3 young non-extended restricted free agents in Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, and Tari Eason.

Kessler, Watson, and Eason will all be restricted free agents next summer because the Jazz, Nuggets, and Rockets didn’t extend their rookie contracts for various reasons, including luxury tax and first and second apron issues.
Targeting restricted free agents is normally considered to be a risky gamble because the player’s prior team always has a 48 hour right of first refusal to match the offer and retain the player, which ties up the offered cap space.

Teams trying to steal other team’s free agents strategically make offers that the player’s original team can’t or won’t match because of the cost, poison pill, increased luxury taxes, exceeding an apron, or other financial needs.
Trying to steal 1 restricted free agent is a tricky challenge that ties up the offered cap space for 48 hours. There has never been an NBA team that tried to simultaneously steal 3 restricted free agents in a single summer.

That’s where the unlimited resources Mark Walter can bring to the Lakers comes in play. By summer, it won’t Rob Pelinka but a fully integrated front office team of advanced, experienced salary cap experts seeking solutions.
Figuring out how to simultaneously steal 3 restricted free agents from 3 NBA teams is exactly the type of innovative out-of-the-box solution Mark Walter’s Dodgers successfully parlayed into 3 World Series triumphs.

The Lakers must have something special planned for this summer to allow almost $100 million in expiring contracts walk away with nothing in return and then gamble it all on stealing 3 restricted free agents from other teams.

CREATING STARTING LINEUP OF FUTURE

…

Completing an extreme roster makeover by signing multiple restricted free agents has never been done in NBA history. However, the current timing and situation could not be more perfect for the Lakers to pull this off.

What the Lakers desperately need from next summer’s massive roster makeover is their starting 3&D small forward and starting modern center of the future to go with their Doncic and Reaves backcourt of the future.
The Lakers would love to add their power forward of the future but like Meat Loaf sang, ‘Two out of three ain’t bad’ and stealing Peyton Watson from the Nuggets and Walker Kessler from the Jazz would be grand theft.

Right now, it appears as if the Lakers could easily put together a $30 to $35 million per year offer for Peyton Watson the Nuggets would decline to match. The Nuggets would prefer losing Watson than paying luxury taxes.
Other factors include that Peyton is an LA and UCLA kid who grew up as a Lakers fan and is represented by Clutch Sports. The Lakers are also the only team projected to have cap space to sign a players to a max contract.

Walker Kessler is more challenging because Danny Ainge has said they want to keep him long-term. The Lakers would probably have to offer Kessler a $41 million max offer to get the Jazz to decline to match them.
That means the only realistic way the Lakers could get Walker Kessler is via a sign-and-trade on draft day next summer, when the Lakers could offer their 2026, 2027 (1–4), 2031, and 2033 first round picks to trade to the Jazz.

Finally, the Lakers could choose to be hardcapped by the second rather than the first apron to get another $11 million in cap space to make an offer to also add Tari Eason that the Rockets might not be willing to match.

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7 Comments

LakerTom
2 months, 2 weeks ago

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

A good test against the champs, details and margins still missing

With the All-Star break probably already on most NBA players’ minds, the Lakers still had work to do before anyone could start thinking about Cabo.

Three games remain before the break, including measuring-stick tests against the two top teams in the conference. The first of those came against the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams were missing their top stars and two MVP candidates, with Luka Dončić sitting out his second consecutive game due to a hamstring injury.

The Lakers came up short, losing 119–110. Depending on how optimistic or pessimistic you are, this game can be viewed in two very different ways. On one hand, the Lakers showed enough fight and enough progress compared to past matchups against elite teams to make it a genuinely competitive night. On the other, LeBron James’ post-game assessment cut through it: the Lakers are not a championship-level team, and there is still a significant gap.

Lakers Nation
@LakersNation
LeBron James when asked to compare the Lakers to the Thunder:

“You want me to compare us to them? That’s a championship team right there. We’re not. We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”
11:47 PM · Feb 9, 2026 · 7.7K Views
15 Replies · 6 Reposts · 97 Likes

James’ teammates won’t have to wait long for another chance to prove him wrong. That chance comes tonight against the second-best team in the conference, the San Antonio Spurs, on the second night of a back-to-back.

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Today’s notes:

Good fight, but an opportunity missed

Lakers battled, OKC hustled harder

Hard to beat OKC when they outshoot you from three

A heavy dose of Marcus Smart

Another Austin Reaves test against a physical team (VIDEO)

1-Good fight, but an opportunity missed

While I agree with James’ assessment that sustaining a 48-minute effort has been a key problem this season, I side with JJ Redick’s post-game diagnosis for this one. The effort itself wasn’t the issue. The level was there, but the focus slipped during a few key stretches that ultimately decided the game.

Lakers Nation
@LakersNation
JJ Redick:

“When you play the best teams, you have to have a really high level of effort and a really high level of execution. You have to have both. I thought our effort was great, but [our execution] was not.”

He felt they needed to do a better job getting LeBron the ball in
9:54 PM · Feb 9, 2026 · 21.7K Views
38 Replies · 19 Reposts · 322 Likes

Failing to switch properly against the sharpshooter Isiah Joe led to open threes, followed by overcommitting and surrendering two open layups on cuts in the first half. Later, Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton overhelped on drives, leaving Jaylin Williams wide open for three threes in the second.

Jovan Buha
@jovanbuha

JJ Redick said he felt the Lakers botched their defensive shell principles too frequently tonight, including over-helping a lot on drives. He noted that Jaylin Williams’ three 3s were all off over-help.

Offensively, he felt they went away from LeBron too much in the fourth.
9:56 PM · Feb 9, 2026 · 25.1K Views
33 Replies · 24 Reposts · 412 Likes

On the offensive end, the Lakers, who have had so much success in the clutch this season, failed to execute in the fourth quarter. Open threes were missed, and undisciplined decision-making pulled them away from the formula that worked in the third quarter, with James controlling the game from the block.

2-Lakers battled, OKC hustled harder

As expected, OKC brought the thunder early, playing its trademark grab-and-hold, swipe-heavy perimeter defense. The Lakers committed 10 first-half turnovers. Some were forced, but too many were unforced, and those, as JJ Redick noted post-game, stung the most in a game with very little margin for error.

However, the Lakers came out of halftime with a strong response, turning up the force and being more aggressive on perimeter switches while contesting most of the Thunder’s drives. They became the aggressors in the third quarter through forced turnovers on defense and James playing bully ball against smaller defenders on the other end.

The Lakers even managed to match the Thunder’s turnover rate, but the problem in this game was the second chances. In my 50-game check, I wrote that the Lakers have been a very good defensive rebounding team lately. In this game, however, they could not match OKC’s activity on the glass. Some of those second-chance opportunities came from the Lakers’ bigs helping on drives, while others were the result of missed boxouts or a failure to match OKC’s hustle on long rebounds and loose balls.

Source: Cleaning the Glass

The Thunder’s nearly 39 percent offensive rebound rate led to three extra field goal attempts and six additional free throw attempts, a decisive edge in an otherwise evenly matched game.

3-Hard to beat OKC when they outshoot you from three

Poor three-point shooting has been a persistent problem for the Lakers throughout the season. In this game, even Luke Kennard, who made one of his two three-point attempts while being tightly guarded on the perimeter, did not make a meaningful difference.

The Lakers shot 10 of 31 from three, just 32 percent, despite getting a solid 4-of-7 night from Marcus Smart. Jake LaRavia missed three open looks in the fourth quarter, while the two primary pull-up threats, James and Austin Reaves, combined to go 1 of 9.

Source: Cleaning the Glass

On the other end, the Thunder shot 14 of 33 from three, good for 42 percent. Given how strong they are on every margin, it is very hard, and often impossible, to beat them on nights when they also win the three-point shooting battle.

4-A heavy dose of Marcus Smart

Smart had one of his better scoring nights with 19 points, while still making his usual impact on the defensive end with timely plays.

The challenge with Smart is always finding the balance between his irrational confidence, the “no, no, yes!” plays that never scare him away from taking a big shot, and the moments when that same confidence turns into hero drives into traffic and, often, trouble.

Last night offered a bit of both. Smart knocked down two big threes in the fourth quarter, but he also called his own number too often and contributed to drifting away from the working plan of playing more systematically through LeBron James on the block, something JJ Redick pointed to as costly down the stretch.

Smart finished with 16 shot attempts, just one fewer than LeBron James’ 17 and two more than Austin Reaves, all in the same amount of playing time. Smart posted a 26 percent usage rate that jumped to 30 percent in the fourth quarter. All in all, it was a bit too much Smart at the end.

5-Another Austin Reaves test against a physical team (VIDEO)

Reaves has made another big leap this year, the kind that is usually the hardest one: the jump from a very good player to true All-NBA territory.

Source: NBA

However, because of some of his past struggles, fair or not, his performances against aggressive, athletic teams will remain under the magnifying glass, likely until he makes a statement in the playoffs.

Like the game itself, Reaves’ showing last night can be argued either for or against him. He had a great first half, scoring 12 points and handing out six assists, showing the downhill speed and rim pressure we saw recently against the 76ers. He consistently got to the paint, surprisingly so against the best perimeter defense in the NBA. Reaves made several strong reads, finding his big men three times on rolls or lobs and creating clean advantages, leaving the early impression that OKC missed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander more than the Lakers missed Dončić.

However, Reaves followed up that strong first half with a disappointing showing after the break, scoring just two points with one assist on 1-of-7 shooting. He finished the game with five turnovers against OKC’s high-pressure, point-of-attack defense. Reaves was stripped clean twice, but he was also clearly fouled on two other plays, which contributed to his frustration and a noticeable loss of rhythm.

Ryan Ward
@RyanWardLA

Austin Reaves on what frustrated him tonight vs. OKC: “I think I just got frustrated when I didn’t get the foul call, got the tech, let that kind of get to me a little bit. But yeah, it was just; I thought it was obvious. I told Eric [Dalen], he was the closest ref. If it was
11:38 PM · Feb 9, 2026 · 26.5K Views
4 Replies · 19 Reposts · 475 Likes

After the win against the Warriors, I mentioned that Reaves and Dončić are similar ballhandlers who attack defenses in different ways. Last night, Reaves’ speed was effective early, but OKC adjusted. As the game went on, James’ bully ball on the block against smaller Thunder guards proved to be the better alternative. That may be the key takeaway for the Lakers.

Against the best teams, identifying best pressure points and adapting more quickly and with greater precision, is essential, especially once Dončić, another strong post-up option, returns.

LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

The NBA is discussing creating a tournament among lottery teams to determine draft order in order to stop tanking. pic.twitter.com/nzHIdE2UNM— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) February 13, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Fix NBA draft:Easy enough to solve for those outside of playoffs. Could remove lottery and do a tourney.Remove “pick protections” on all trades.Incentive still stronger not to make playoff, so need bubble incentive. Lottery for pick 5 for play in teams. And go snake draft— Jake Lingwall (@JakeLingwall) February 13, 2026

LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Austin Reaves has NEVER missed a dunk in his NBA career 😳He is 37-for-37. Only one player has recorded more dunks without a miss: Gheorghe Mureșan. (H/T Crazy Stats) pic.twitter.com/1GEq0Rt44o— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) February 11, 2026

LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Hayes has made a pretty solid case for himself to just be the Lakers’ starting center over the last month or so— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) February 13, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

JAXSON HAYES TONIGHT:16 PTS7 REB4 AST3 STL1 BLK8-10 FG+26EASILY CLEARS DEANDRE AYTON. pic.twitter.com/d5cOjeJx9P— BronMuse (@BronMuse) February 13, 2026

LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Final: Lakers 124, Mavs 104LA goes into the ASB on a high note. They improve to 33-21 and move back up to No. 5 in the West. LeBron James posted his first triple-double of the season: 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Rui had 21. AR had 18/4/6.Up next: A week off.— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 13, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Final: Lakers 124, Mavericks 104. LAL improves to 33-21 going into the All-Star break. LeBron James: 28 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double at 41 years, 44 days old. Rui Hachimura: 21 points (9-13…— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) February 13, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

RUI HACHIMURA TONIGHT:21 POINTS3 REBOUNDS1 ASSIST 9/13 FG pic.twitter.com/ldKwKJEga0— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) February 13, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

LEBRON JAMES TONIGHT:28 POINTS12 ASSISTS 10 REBOUNDS 10/20 FGM35 MINUTES pic.twitter.com/MsacRPcOkD— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 13, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

LUKE KENNARD TONIGHT 💦 18 minutes 💦 9 points 💦 7 rebounds 💦 3 assists 💦 +13 +/-THANK YOU ROB 🙏 pic.twitter.com/8B9nCNHinA— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) February 13, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

The Lakers beat the Mavs, 124-104, to head into the All-Star break with a 33-21 record. LeBron 28 pts, 12 ast, 10 reb for his 1st triple-double of the season; Rui 21 pts; AR 16 pts 6 ast; Hayes 16 pts on 8-of-10 7 reb; LaRavia 11 pts. LAL hosts LAC on Feb. 20 after the break.— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 13, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

@clintonyates LBJ first triple double of the season and oldest to achieve one last night!! 👑 pic.twitter.com/7Vx9Nn1lw2— Derek Thompsen (@dtoneyey) February 13, 2026

LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Lakers Massive Summer Makeover! Giannis Or Kessler, Watson, Eason? Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers have shifted their massive roster makeover to next summer when they’ll have 3 first round picks to trade and $60 million in cap space for other teams’ free… pic.twitter.com/KFyLieEZbk— LakerTom (@LakerTom) February 11, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Lakers Massive Summer Makeover! Giannis Or Kessler, Watson, Eason? TRADING FOR ANTETOKOUNMPOGiannis Antetokounmpo, PF, 31, 6′ 11″, 7′ 3″, 243 lbs, 3-yrs $175.4M28.0/10.0/5.6/0.7/0.9 in 29.2 mpg. 3P->0.5/1.3/39.5%…One thing that won’t change with Mark Walter as owner of… pic.twitter.com/mRZmPxWTl4— LakerTom (@LakerTom) February 11, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Lakers Massive Summer Makeover! Giannis Or Kessler, Watson, Eason? STEALING KESSLER, WATSON, & EASONWalker Kessler, CE, 24, 7′ 0″, 7′ 6″, 245 lbs, 1-yr $4.9M14.4/10.8/3.0/1.8/1.4 in 30.8 mpg. 3P->1.2/1.6/75.0%Peyton Watson, SF, 23, 6′ 8″, 7′ 1″, 200 lbs, 1-yr $4.4M… pic.twitter.com/RraGR1hoRm— LakerTom (@LakerTom) February 11, 2026
- DJ2KB24
  2 months, 1 week ago
  
  My only thought is, didn’t we have Randle, Carusso, Clarky, DLO and all the rest (On Gilligan’s Island) similar guys?
  - DJ2KB24
    2 months, 1 week ago
    
    PS-Who are we keeping? I would like to keep LBJ at cheap-ish.
    - Buba Touray
      2 months, 1 week ago
      
      DJ, I still get mad at the front office when I think about us losing those baby Lakers.
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Lakers Massive Summer Makeover! Giannis Or Kessler, Watson, Eason? CREATING STARTING LINEUP OF FUTURE…Completing an extreme roster makeover by signing multiple restricted free agents has never been done in NBA history. However, the current timing and situation could not… pic.twitter.com/e1nXsKpthp— LakerTom (@LakerTom) February 11, 2026

LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

This Lakers lineup against the Spurs can’t be a real NBA team pic.twitter.com/CSA35OmClD— Nic (@Nic111392) February 11, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

"If you got LeBron James off, make sure somebody else is playing… but damn, everybody? That is disrespectful and insensitive and dismissive to the fans."Stephen A. Smith on the Lakers resting their starters last night vs. the Spurs.(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/eMSv0CvkGD— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 11, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

My thoughts from Lakers–Spurs observations, watching the four most recent additions to the roster…Kobe Bufkin, Luke Kennard, Drew Timme and Nick Smith Jr.👇https://t.co/Q49l5NlTDh pic.twitter.com/EYmTpRwJv9— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) February 11, 2026
LakerTom
2 months, 1 week ago

Lakers-Spurs Postgame! Lakers Take The Day Off So That They Can Get Destroyed By The Spurs! https://t.co/8Wc4VCJTPE pic.twitter.com/wE4lf5elv5— Lakers Fast Break (@LakersFastBreak) February 11, 2026

MongoSlade
2 months, 2 weeks ago

I don’t want to see Luka in uniform until 2/20. Wish LeBron would do the same. Reaves too. Get all these dudes as much rest as possible and hit the playoffs healthier than we were last year. JayJay should’ve already learned that lesson. What good is the 3rd Seed if guys are hobbled?
- Jamie Sweet
  2 months, 2 weeks ago
  
  Totally agree, also, glad to see you back Mongo!