While their front office appears unchanged under the pending ownership of Mark Walter, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers have made five strategic moves that confirm the franchise is going all-in this year to win a championship.
Unlike prior season-opening press conferences where the Lakers’ future was in flex, this year’s event was a literal confirmation of positivity and confidence generated by Luka’s superb conditioning and EuroBasket play. Missing were any dissents about waiting until the trade deadline next February to make needed changes or saving their one tradable first round draft pick for the future. All the talk for once was just about this season.
Rob Pelinka suddenly appears supremely confident that the Lakers can launch the Luka Doncic and JJ Redick era plus maybe even extend the LeBron James era a few years by winning this season’s championship.
While never taking their eye off the long game, the Lakers are feeling giddy right now about how wide open the coming season is and how this could realistically be their best opportunity to win a championship this decade.
The Lakers know they still need an elite starting 3&D small forward and a proven shot-blocking backup defensive center but they also want to see how the current roster does, especially Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
Unlike recent seasons where L.A.’s front office was paralyzed by a lack of consensus and fear of mistakes, Rob Pelinka finally seems to have received unanimous support from the entire front office to go all-in to win this year.
So let’s take a deep dive into the five strategic moves the Lakers have made for the coming season and why those moves clearly confirm the franchise has decided to go all-in to win the 2026 championship for Luka and LeBron.
1. DEMAND CHAMPIONSHIP CONDITIONING
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Championship caliber professional sports teams understand next season truly starts the minute the last season ends because that’s when players and teams have to commit to making the changes necessary to get better.
After an exhausting regular season and disappointing playoffs, JJ Redick challenged his players and demanded they dedicate the current offseason to coming into training camp this fall in true championship condition.
While not specifically targeting Luka, JJ knew his challenge and demand would only increase Doncic’s determination and motivation to get back into the elite shape and condition he was in the NBA Finals two years ago.
Luka not only accepted JJ’s offseason challenge but underwent an extreme physical makeover to return to the thinner, better conditioned superstar who averaged 33.9/9.2/9.8 and led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals vs. Boston. Redick is not only thrilled with how the team has responded to coming into camp in championship condition but is now expanding that challenge and demand to include building championship habits and communications.
There’s a different vibe coming from the Lakers right now than we’ve seen in recent seasons. The Doncic trade, extension, makeover, and EuroBasket performance have lit a fire like we haven’t seen before in this front office.
Make no mistake. Luka coming into training camp in the same great shape he was in two years ago when he took the Mavericks to the NBA Finals is what is triggering the Lakers to finally go all-in on this team to win a title.
Successfully demanding every player, including superstar Luka Doncic, come into this training camp in championship condition was the first strategic move that confirms the Lakers are going all-in this season.
2. EXTEND HEAD COACH JJ REDICK
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While Luka Doncic is their superstar and Mark Walter their owner of the future, the Lakers signed JJ Redick to an extension that will pay him $45 million and lock him up for next 5 years as the Lakers’ coach of the future.
While it’s unusual for a team to extend the contract of a rookie head coach, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers wanted to reward JJ Redick for doing a great job winning 50 games and finishing third in the difficult Western Conference.
By securing both their superstar and coach of the future, the Lakers are prioritizing greater stability and continuity for both players and coaches, which is something that’s been missing during LeBron’s years in L.A.
The real reason the Lakers signed head coach JJ Redick to this extension is Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka, and Mark Walter believe he’s the voice and vision of the future who will guide the franchise into its next era of greatness.
Lakers’ exceptionalism hasn’t been limited to just superstar players. Their success has also been due to legendary head coaches like Bill Sharman, Pat Riley, and Phil Jackson, whose styles and philosophies won championships.
There’s no question the Lakers’ front office views JJ Redick as their next legendary coach, ala Pat Riley or Phil Jackson. Just like the Celtics locked up a young Brad Stevens, the Lakers have locked up a young JJ Redick.
JJ is the missing piece to the Lakers franchise brain trust and a perfect fit for the collaborative management style Buss and Pelinka prefer. The Lakers have now added Mark Walter’s financial and JJ Redick’s basketball genius.
Extending JJ Redick’s contract as the Lakers’ head coach of the future was the second strategic move that confirms the Lakers are going all-in to win the 2026 NBA Championship with Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
3. OPTIMIZE LUKA, LEBRON, & AUSTIN
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On paper, a Lakers’ Big Three of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves should be an unstoppable offensive juggernaut. On court, JJ Redick faces a urgent challenge to figure out how to optimize the three stars.
Last season, the Lakers’ Big Three of Luka, LeBron, and Austin posted a 117.8 offensive rating and 117.7 defensive rating for a disappointing +0.1 net rating in 21 regular season games and 423 minutes on court together.
In last year’s playoffs, the Lakers’ Big Three struggled at both ends of the court and posted a 109.4 offensive rating and 117.2 defensive rating for a poor -7.7 net rating in 5 playoff games and 140 minutes on court together.
The challenge coach Redick faces in trying to make the Big Three of Luka, LeBron, and Austin work is transforming the redundancy of their skillsets into an advantage rather than a disadvantage because there’s only one ball.
Due to similar skillsets, the ideal utilization of Luka, LeBron, and Austin would be for the Lakers to always have two of them on the court for all 48 minutes of the game but that would only work with Reaves off the bench.
Redick believes the key to successfully unlocking the Lakers’ Big Three of Luka, LeBron, and Austin offensively is designing plays where all three are engaged in functions that force the opposing team to account for them.
Starting Marcus Smart for Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton for Jaxson Hayes will help defensively but Redick needs to prove the Big Three can work or Austin Reaves may find himself suddenly on the trading block.
Committing to optimize their Big Three of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves was the third strategic move the Lakers have embraced that confirms the team is going all-in to win their 18th NBA championship.
4. TRADE PICKS TO FILL HOLES
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The Lakers sudden willingness to trade their one tradable pick for player(s) who could elevate them to championship caliber is another strategic move that confirms the Lakers are going to go all-in to win the championship.
Even after trading for Luka, the Lakers’ strategy had still been to keep their one tradable first round pick so they could offer three picks on draft day next summer, when Giannis and Joker could become available via trade.
Changing that strategy to being willing to trade the pick to get better right now only confirms that the Lakers believe they can win it all this year. The question now becomes whom are they going to use the pick to trade for?
The Lakers’ willingness to trade their one tradable first round pick now makes Pelinka’s challenge to upgrade the team’s roster to championship caliber not only easier but also opens up new ranges of opportunities.
Should the right opportunity present itself, Rob could also include the Lakers 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032 first round pick swaps or their 2032 second round pick. Or he could save them for draft day next summer.
Right now, the only thing that’s certain is the Los Angeles Lakers need to pull off a blockbuster consolidation trade before the deadline to swap over $40 million in expiring contracts for players with at least two-year deals.
They must do that not only to free themselves from their current frozen cap situation and open up roster spots and space under the first apron but also acquire coveted players and expiring contracts to trade next summer.
Committing to being willing to trade their only tradable first round draft pick was the fourth strategic move that strongly confirms the Los Angeles Lakers have decided to go all-in to win this year’s NBA Championship.
5. LIMIT TRIAL RUN TO 23 GAMES
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The final strategic move that confirms the Los Angeles Lakers are going all-in this season to win an NBA Championship was Rob Pelinka limiting the current roster’s season-opening trial run to the first 20 to 25 games.
Ironically, from the October 21st season opener to the December 7th final game before the NBA Cup Tournament, the Los Angeles Lakers play 23 games, which neatly fits the 20 to 25 game trial before making any trades.
That Pelinka does not want to wait until the February 4, 2026 trade deadline to make a trade is a sign that the Lakers already know what has to be done and are not going to sit patiently waiting before making needed trades.
Waiting until early December 2025 would cost the Lakers 23 games or 28% of the regular season. Waiting until early February 2066 would cost them 47 games or 58% and leave them with just 35 games or just 42% of the season.
The Lakers know how hard it is to integrate new players into the rotation after a major midseason trade. They prefer any blockbuster trade to be made early in the season rather than waiting for the February deadline.
It will be interesting to see who ends up starting for the Lakers and who shines and who stumbles in these first 23 games. Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton will likely be under the most pressure.
The Lakers still need an elite 3&D starting small forward like Andrew Wiggins and a proven rim protecting defensive backup center like Robert Williams III but could also target stars like Herb Jones or Dillon Brooks.
The Lakers believe they’re only a starting wing and backup center from competing for a championship. Limiting the current roster’s trial run to just 23 games is the fifth sign the Lakers are going all-in this season.
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