I mean…awesome? We’re 5th and 8-7 over the last 15. That’s the stat that matters. If we can grind out 3 wins to close out the break.that would go a long way. There’s been a ton of injuries, some role upheaval, so wining out before the break would go a long way in reshaping the narrative. I think the guys are together, that’s a testament to the staff and veteran leadership. There are a ton of execution issues on D to cleanup, silly turnovers to iron out, and a sharp shooter to incorporate. The break after the trade deadline is a great choice by the league, IMO. Gives coaches a chance to integrate new guys and rethink concepts that haven’t panned out.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

2-Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleber thriving in a smaller, more agile environment

The Lakers have won their last two games with defense. A scrambling, mobile zone defense, without a traditional center.

Two players have been instrumental in this setup. By utilizing zone, JJ Redick seems to have found the best formula to maximize Jarred Vanderbilt’s unique skill set. Like his teammates, Vanderbilt missed a couple of cuts and can still be undisciplined at times, but with his length, mobility, and constant hustle, he is the main player providing the necessary pressure at the top of the zone. His endless motor was also key against the Warriors, who crash the glass with four players at a time, as he won plenty of scrambles for long rebounds outside the paint. Two made corner threes and 13 total points were just an added bonus, making up a very impactful 18 Vando minutes.

If Vando was the key at the top, Maxi Kleber was, for a second consecutive game, the difference on the back line. The 34-year-old German looks healthy and mobile again, a reminder of why he was such an impactful defender in his prime. I won’t get tricked into believing this is sustainable at this stage of his career, especially given his injury history. Everything the Lakers get out of Kleber should be viewed as an unexpected plus. The biggest benefit of his recent stretch is not just his undeniable on-court impact (he was a game-high +12 again), but the realization of how stark the difference is when the back line is manned by a high-IQ, mobile defender compared to the Lakers’ other big-man options.

i dont get it….

Austin Reaves vs Warriors:- 15 Points – 8 Assists- 5 Rebounds – 50% FG pic.twitter.com/fBuQgWL9wp— Laker Performances (@LALPerformance) February 8, 2026

LAKERS SHOULD WAIVE DALTON, NOT MAXI!Right now, it has to be Knecht who gets waived to open another roster spot. Kleber has become too valuable. Rather have Dalton's dead money next year than to lose Maxi now. He and Vando have made the Lakers zone actually look like a… https://t.co/1AHgUnb0nB— LakerTom (@LakerTom) February 8, 2026

The Lakers get 6 players in double-figures tonight:20 — LeBron 18 — Rui16 — Reaves15 — Smart13 — Vando10 — KennardTEAM WIN. pic.twitter.com/ctAv1Ocv53— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) February 8, 2026

JARRED VANDERBILT TONIGHT 19 minutes 13 points 8 rebounds 3 stocks +11 +/-ALWAYS BRINGS THE ENERGY ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/iAMEfYcCfI— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) February 8, 2026

THEY MADE THE DECISIONS

“If keeping SALARY CAP SPACE in the summer was not the main priority, it WAS the PRESSURE POINT that ROB PELINKA, the new owner MARK WALTER, governor JEANIE BUSS and consultant ANDREW FRIEDMAN pushed in every scenario or decision”

I think they all saw the wisdom and potential in consolidating assets. I hope the Kennard for Vincent swap is enough to boost us plus some All Star R&R for the squad.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Los Angeles Lakers all but made it official this week: They plan to chase Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer.

They shouldn’t — and won’t — allow it to be the plan. It’s the only way the stressors they’ve willingly introduced this season will be worth it.

As the Lakers trudged through the middle of their schedule, coach JJ Redick looked for reasons why his team’s feet seemed stuck in the mud. A three-game, four-night East Coast stretch (one where his star player jetted to Slovenia for the birth of a child) zapped a ton of energy from the players and the staff. An injury to Austin Reaves shortly thereafter furthered their descent into whatever-dom.

The Lakers entered this zone more so now than any other point this season, where they’d either beat a bad team or get the doors blown off them by an equal or superior.

It was ugly. And on Jan. 22, after the LA Clippers blew out the Lakers for the second time in a month, Redick pointed to one culprit.

The present becomes inherently destabilized when the priority is so clearly tomorrow, and the Lakers, while not completely in a gap year, have their eyes on the future. They’re in position to chase a star.

When so many believed Antetokounmpo might finally be moved, the Bucks and their fans got to keep the Giannis dream alive.

“It just goes back to the human element of everything,” Redick said. “And guys are worried about their futures. And that’s what happens when you have a team full of free agents and player options.”

Only five of the 14 full-time players on the roster that night had contracts set in stone for next year. LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent. Austin Reaves has a player option he’s certain to decline. DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart have player options. Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes will be free agents.

The Lakers’ plans from that list include Reaves and, of course, Luka Dončić. However, beyond that, no one else can be sure.

And that puts them in a bit of a strange spot.

The NBA trade deadline came and went without the Lakers being pushed off their chosen path. If maintaining cap space in summer 2026 wasn’t the top priority, it was the pressure point Rob Pelinka, new majority owner Mark Walter, governor Jeanie Buss and consultant Andrew Friedman pushed in every scenario or decision.

The Lakers landed on trading one future free agent, Gabe Vincent, for another in Luke Kennard, surrendering the only second-round pick they had to offer. They were unable to offload any other players, including Dalton Knecht, who league sources say the Lakers shopped aggressively.

Los Angeles moves off Vincent, who has disappointed since signing a free-agent contract with the Lakers in 2024.

Next will be evaluating a group of buyout candidates. Team and league sources say wing Haywood Highsmith is a player of interest, provided his knee issues are resolved. Cam Thomas, his former Nets teammate, is another more polarizing option.

Neither would affect the Lakers’ 2026 plans. And those long-term plans have to at least somewhat include an Antetokounmpo pursuit. The team will have three first-round picks available on draft night to make their best offer.

Rival scouts and executives don’t believe it’ll be enough, but the Lakers can and should try. Also, it cannot be the cornerstone of their offseason plans. And this all assumes that Antetokounmpo’s Wolf of Wall Street post on Thursday is temporary, not permanent.

THIS IS THE BIG NEWS:

The summer presents an opportunity, armed with significant cap flexibility, to start building the necessary components of a modern front office and reap early benefits. League sources say that includes significant hires to a wide range of front-office positions this summer, with the Lakers expected to model their front office after the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It’s going to be scary,” one rival executive said when asked about the potential of the built-out front office the Lakers are expected to assemble.

There seems to be a clearer-eyed approach to this summer, which is different from past star pursuits. The Lakers have more cap space than any other competitive team, so they can be aggressive in acquiring players who fit their needs. The center position remains a priority, again. They could engage with restricted free agents like Denver’s Peyton Watson and Houston’s Tari Eason. And while restricted free agency comes with complications tied to offer sheets and prior teams’ rights to match, the Lakers could try to bypass those steps with draft capital in sign-and-trades.

Team sources have maintained that the Lakers won’t pursue a single pathway. That’s the luxury of their position; they can and should pursue Antetokounmpo. They can and should explore high-level role players whom they can trade draft picks for and absorb into space. They can and should look into aggressive ways to pry loose one of the top restricted free agents.

And they can and should build the kind of front office that can position the team in advantageous situations, whether for top-name stars, expensive free agents, minimum contracts or second-round picks.

Of all the moves the Lakers can make this summer, this is the one that’ll matter most.