Los Angeles Lakers

How Lakers Can Save This Season Without Sacrificing Next Summer

January 16, 2026 by LakerTom 4 Comments

Step by step, piece by piece, the Lakers appear to be putting together an innovative grand plan to surround Luka Doncic with a championship starting lineup and rotation that fits his timeline and playing style.

The Lakers’ biggest moves are projected to come next summer when they could have 3 tradable first round picks plus a dominant cap space war chest of $100 million to re-sign their own and steal other teams’ free agents. While many expect the Lakers to ultimately sacrifice this season for next, Mark Walter’s newly expanded front office could be planning a bold and innovative strategy to allow them to compete for a title this season too.

The bold and innovative strategy would have the Lakers trading their 2031 unprotected first round pick to the Thunder for 3 lessor value first round picks. OKC needs to move picks and has made similar trades in the past.
This is exactly the out-of-the-box type move Lakers fans should expect from a Mark Walter front office. The Lakers now have 5 picks over next 2 years: 1, 2, or 3 picks at deadline followed by 4, 3, or 2 picks next draft day.

This dramatically changes what Lakers can do before the trade deadline. Rather than wait for free agency, they could send two of the firsts before the deadline to Denver for Peyton Watson and Houston for Tari Eason.
Or they could use the two first round picks to trade with the Pelicans for small forward Herbert Jones, whom they’ve coveted as the perfect two-way 3&D point-of-attack wing they desperately need to upgrade their defense.

As the Mark Walter Dodgers sign more free agents, the Mark Walter Lakers are planning to convert their 2031 unprotected first round pick into three lessor value picks to give them more trading chips to upgrade their roster.

TURNING 1 UNPROTECTED FIRST INTO 3 LESSER FIRSTS!

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This trade actually is a win-win trade for both the Lakers and the Thunder because it allows LA to break their unprotected 2031 pick into 3 lower value picks and OKC to consolidate 3 lower value picks into 1 higher value pick.

For their unprotected 2031 first round pick, the Lakers get the Thunder’s 2027 and 2029 unprotected first round picks and the Nuggets’ 2027 top-five protected first round pick. All are projected to be late first round picks.
Despite the Luka Doncic trade, the Lakers 2031 first round pick is worth 3 to 4 times what a top team’s protected picks are worth because of the lack of protection and how far in the future before the pick is made.

There are also several other NBA teams that are loaded with first and second round draft picks whom the Lakers could approach besides the Thunder, including the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, or Brooklyn Nets.
At the start of the season, the Thunder had 13 first round picks and 16 second round picks, the Nets 13 first round and 19 second round picks, the Jazz 13 first and 7 seconds, and the Rockets 9 firsts and 4 seconds.

Strategically, if the Lakers follow the same player development path as the Dodgers, draft picks may suddenly have a lot more value than they did with the Buss Lakers. Additionally, free agency may also begin to trump trades.
While NBA rules may be tougher than MLB, it only takes five great players to build a perfect team in basketball so Mark Walter’s approach could find success for the Lakers more quickly and easily than it did with the Dodgers.

Expect the Lakers to be very aggressive as the trade deadline approaches in trying to trade their 1 tradable first round pick to a team loaded with multiple first round picks for 3 first round picks of lessor value.

ACCELERATING LAKERS’ EXTREME ROSTER MAKEOVER!

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If the Lakers can trade their unprotected 2031 first to an NBA team loaded with picks for 3 first round picks of lower value, then they could accelerate rebuilding their roster around Luka from next summer to this winter.

The above projected depth chart was originally a projection of the Lakers starting lineup and rotation for next season after spending $100 million in open cap space on an extreme roster makeover to optimize Luka Doncic.
By getting 3 lower value first round picks for their unprotected 2031 pick, the Lakers have an opportunity to save this season without sacrificing next summer by moving their makeover from next summer to this winter.

The additional draft picks also give the Lakers an opportunity to trade right now for players they originally targeted to acquire in free agency next summer. Suddenly, the Lakers have a chance to accelerate their makeover.
Rather than wait to sign free agents until next summer, the Lakers could simply use their $100 million in expiring contracts and newly acquired draft picks to trade for Watson, Eason, Kessler, Oubre Jr., and Middleton.

Strategically, it makes sense for the Lakers to use first round picks to get Denver and Houston to trade Watson and Eason at the trade deadline to avoid being outbid in free agency and losing them for nada next summer.
That would then leave the Lakers with the original three first rounders they could package along with picks #1–4 of their 2027 first rounder that Utah already owns. If necessary, the Lakers could include seconds and swaps.

Being under the first apron, the Lakers would be smart to use the trades to open up cap space to sign Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kris Middleton from the NBA buyout market to fill the backup shooting guard and power forward roles.

Lakers Weaponize Free Agency!! $100M For Four Elite Defenders

January 7, 2026 by LakerTom 10 Comments

The Los Angeles Lakers smartly plan to weaponize next summer’s free agency with a generational war chest of $100 million in cap space plus possible ‘Godfather’ offers for four elite young defensive free agents.

When Ayton declines his player option and the Lakers allow the contracts of James, Hachimura, Vincent, and Kleber to expire, Los Angeles will have $100 million in cap space to sign their own and other teams’ free agents. With the salary cap going up next season, the Lakers will receive another $15 million in cap space under the first apron and $10 million more in cap space if they make a decision to be hard capped at the second apron.

It will be interesting to see what Mark Walter’s team decides regarding hard capping at first or second option. The Dodgers basically operated like the Warriors did, considering luxury taxes to be an investment and not a fine.
Bottom line, the Lakers should be able to create between $115 and $125 million in open cap space for their own and other teams’ free agents, depending on whether they opt to be hardcapped at first or second apron.

We saw last summer how free agency has significant pluses over trading for players as the Lakers were able to add Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart without giving up matching salaries or draft capital.
By not extending LeBron, the Lakers will be the only team with over $100 million in cap space and the only contender with more than $50 million in open cap space. Competition will be Clippers, Wizards, Jazz, Nets, Bulls.

The Lakers have smartly positioned themselves as the top free agency team for Jazz’ center Walker Kessler, Nuggets’ small forward Peyton Watson, Rockets’ power forward Tari Eason, and Blazers’ center Robert Williams.

Starting Center Walker Kessler

Walker Kessler, CE, 24-yrs, 7′ 2″, 7′ 6″ wingspan, 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%, 3-yrs @ $25M

Walker Kessler will be the Lakers #1 target next summer. Kessler can not only protect the rim and defend in space but has also shown promising potential to stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting before his injury.

While he’s an RFA and will need a 3 or 4-year extension starting near $25 million per year, the Jazz have enough cap space that the Lakers can’t land Kessler with a Godfather offer so they’ll have to work out a sign-and-trade.
The Lakers best offer should be Dalton Knecht and their 2026, 2027, 2031, and 2033 unprotected first round draft picks. The Lakers already owe the Jazz picks 5–30 of their 2027 first rounder but can offer them picks 1–4.

Considering Kessler is coming off a major injury and will likely need a $75 to $100 million extension, Dalton Knecht and four first round draft picks should be a fair offer for Kessler, with a starting salary of $25 million.
For a Lakers team that’s lacked an elite rim protector since their 2020 championship, Walker Kessler would be their first big move to building a legitimate championship roster around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Kessler brings the Lakers three things they could not get from Ayton: rim protection, floor spacing, and physical domination. In the 5 games before his injury, Walker Kessler averaged 3.2 stocks and shot 6 of 8 from three.
Nobody expects Walker to average 3 stocks and shoot 75% from deep, but getting a 24-year old 7′ 2″, 245 lb center who can both protect the rim and stretch the floor with 3-point shooting is a championship move by Lakers.

Negotiating a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz for 24-year old center Walker Kessler should be the Los Angeles Lakers’ top priority next summer when they can offer Utah Dalton Knecht and four first round draft picks.

Backup Center Robert Williams

Robert Williams III, CE, 28-yrs, 6′ 9″, 7′ 6″ wingspan, 249 lbs, 1-yr $13.3M
5.9/6.2/1.0/1.4/0.6 in 16.2 mpg. 3P->0.0/0.4/11.1%, 3-yrs @ $15M

With a heavy-minutes starting center like Walker Kessler, the Lakers can gamble on a limited-minutes injury prone elite backup center like Robert Williams III, who can replicate Kessler’s elite defense in limited minutes.

Giving Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves an elite versatile and deep center rotation of Walker Kessler, Robert Williams III, and Jaxson Hayes would be the first step towards transforming the Lakers into a championship team.
There is nothing skill-wise or talent-wise that would have a greater positive impact on the Lakers’ ability to play better defense than being able to roll out 48 minutes of elite rim protection at center position every single game.

Robert Williams is clearly a calculated risk but with Walker Kessler starting and Jaxson Hayes in case of emergency, the Lakers would have quality and depth at center to limit Robert’s minutes to keep him fresh and healthy.
Williams is so impactful defensively he could easily be the difference maker in a playoff game or series. As a RFA, a healthy Williams could command a 2 or 3-year contract starting around $15 million per year.

Besides anchoring their defense and protecting the rim, the other reason why the Lakers need to invest heavily in an elite center rotation is they must be able to play double-big lineups with elite offensive rebounders.
To win a championship in this new era of fast, athletic, and physical NBA play, you need to control the boards offensively and defensively. Best way for Lakers to do that would be with Walker Kessler and Robert Williams.

Lakers’ top priority after signing-and-trading for Kessler should be to sign Williams III to a 2 or 3-year deal starting at $15 million per year. Kessler and Williams could quickly become the best center rotation in the NBA.

Starting Small Forward Peyton Watson

Peyton Watson, SF, 23-yrs, 6′ 8″, 7′ 1″ wingspan, 200 lbs, 1-yr $4.4M
14.2/4.7/1.6/0.9/1.0 in 27.9 mpg. 3P->1.1/3.1/35.6%, 3-yrs @ $25M

With the center rotation set, the Lakers have smartly positioned themselves to make ‘Godfather’ offers to a pair of elite young 3&D RFA wings who were not offered extensions because their franchise had other financial needs.

The first of these two 3&D RFA wings is the Nuggets’ Peyton Watson, a 23-year old athletic wing with elite defensive tools that Denver can no longer afford with the recent raises given to Christian Braun and Jabari Smith.
The Lakers envision Watson as their starting small forward of the future. He fills the Lakers’ need for point-of-attack wing defense, 3-point shooting, positional size, speed and quickness, and athleticism and physicality.

Defensively, Peyton Watson can capably defend three different positions. He defended threes 50% of his time, twos 25% of his time, and fours 25% of his time. He currently averages 1 block, 1 steal, and 1made three per game.
In his 4-years with the Nuggets, Peyton improved his points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals each season. He’s just become too expensive for the Nuggets to retain, which is why they did not offer him an extension.

The Lakers should be able to give Watson a ‘Godfather’ offer between $20 to $25 million that the Nuggets simply could not match considering they’re projected to be deep into the luxury tax and well over the second apron.
Watson should be offered as much as Braun, who received 5-years and $125 million, or Smith, who received 5-years and $122 million. But the Lakers could be smart to build in an overpay to assure their offer is not matched.

Peyton Watson would be the Lakers’ perfect starting 3&D small forward of the future. Los Angeles should make Watson a ‘Godfather’ offer of 3-years and $90 million to become their starting small forward of the future.

Starting Power Forward Tari Eason

Tari Eason, PF, 24-yrs, 6′ 8″, 7′ 2″ wingspan, 215 lbs, 1-yr $5.7M
12.1/5.7/1.5/0.6/1.1 in 23.7 mpg. 3P->2.2/4.5/48.8%, 3-yrs @ $25M

Like the Nuggets’ Peyton Watson, Houston Rockets’ forward Tari Eason is the second elite young 3&D RFA wing who was not offered an extension because their team had other financial needs that were more important.

While Eason has struggled with injuries in his young career, he finds himself as an RFA because he and the Rockets could not agree upon an extension even though they project to have $20 to $30 million in cap space.
The Rockets are in a better position with respect to Eason than the Nuggets were with Watson. Most prognosticators predict the Rockets would match most offers for Eason so the Lakers may need to over pay to get him.

The Lakers view Tari Eason as their starting power forward of the future. They love his defensive versatility as he guarded both forward positions and his potential as a volume 3-point shooter who complements Kessler.
They also love the front court pairing of Tari Eason with Peyton Watson. Having a pair of young, athletic, physical, 6′ 8″ wings with 7′ 1″ wingspans is something the Lakers have desperately coveted for more than a decade.

The big question is how much will the Rockets be willing to match to keep a player whom they likely do not view as a starter. Would 3-years and $75 million be too much? What about front loaded 3-years and $75 million?
Strategically, the Lakers can create enough cap space to re-sign Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes with raises and still have $100 million in cap space to sign and steal away other teams’ free agents.

The Lakers should give Tari Eason a ‘Godfather’ offer of 3-years and $90 million to become their starting power forward of the future and join Walker Kessler, Robert Williams III, and Peyton Watson as teammates.

Lakers To Weaponize Free Agency! $100M In Cap Space Next Summer

January 3, 2026 by LakerTom 3 Comments

The Lakers are positioning themselves to pull off an extreme summer makeover by leveraging their 3 first round draft picks and $100 million in cap space to re-sign their own and steal away other teams’ free agents.

Pulling off this blockbuster summer will require discipline and patience and could sacrifice any realistic chance of the Lakers winning rings during Luka’s first full season and LeBron’s likely final season in purple and gold. The harsh reality is the Lakers probably need more help to transform them into a championship contender this season than they could reasonably acquire with their current trading chips. Better to focus on next summer.

Recent reports confirm the Lakers do not plan to trade their one tradable first round draft pick midseason to be able to offer 3 unprotected first round draft picks in a mega trade for Giannis on draft day next summer. Frankly, I’m not a fan of the Lakers using all their draft capital and $60 million of their depth to match salaries to trade for a 30-year old Giannis. I’d rather the Lakers use those trading chips to build OKC-quality depth.

The Lakers have a unique opportunity because of their decision not to give LeBron an extension last summer. They could shrewdly create $100 million in cap space to sign their own and possibly steal other teams’ free agents.
Mark Walter is smartly prioritizing free agency over trades, seeking to fast track surrounding Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with legitimate two-way roster depth that did not cost valuable draft capital and matching salaries.

The Lakers should leverage their 3 first round draft picks and $100 million in cap space to execute an extreme summer makeover that delivers elite defensive talent and transforms the Lakers into legitimate contenders.

LAKERS FOCUSING ON CAP SPACE NEXT SUMMER!

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The Lakers currently plan to allow the contracts of James, Hachimura, Vincent, Kleber, and Ayton to expire at the end of the season to create $100 million in cap space to re-sign their own and other teams’ free agents.

While teams generally trade expiring contracts to avoid losing players to free agency for nothing, the Lakers are deliberately allowing 5 players to walk away for nothing to create $100 million in cap space next summer.
While this summer’s free agency class does not include any superstars, there are multiple quality UFA’s and a few elite RFA’s for whom the Lakers could make ‘Godfather’ offers and/or ultimately do a sign-and-trade.

With LeBron no longer under contract, the Lakers would likely waive Bronny so he could try to continue his career with another team. That would then leave the Lakers with 8 remaining players under contract.
5 players (Doncic, Vanderbilt, LaRavia, Knecht, and Thiero) are currently on long-term deals with 3 players (Reaves, Smart, and Hayes) slated to be given new deals with raises and two-way Nick Smith Jr. a new contract.

With the first apron for next season tentatively projected at $210 million, the Lakers should have $95 million in open cap space left after spending $115 million on the 9 players under contract, including Nick Smith Jr.
They plan to use that $95 million to sign RFA’s Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, and Tari Eason, and UFA Robert Williams III. The Kessler trade should ultimately turn into a S&T involving Dalton Knecht and 3 picks.

Finally, the Lakers will also be looking to add critically important backups like Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Kris Middleton as unrestricted free agents from the NBA buyout market as teams approach the February trade deadline.

REBUILDING LAKERS AROUND LUKA & AUSTIN!

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The Lakers plan to use their 3 first round picks and $100 million cap space to re-sign Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes and steal RFA’s Walker Kessler, Tari Eason, and Peyton Watson with ‘Godfather’ offers.

That’s the kind of move fans should expect from the Mark Walter Lakers. While trades have become the NBA’s preferred path to rebuilding, building via free agency is faster and doesn’t cost matching salaries or draft picks.
No better way to ease concerns about the Lakers’ starting lineup’s defensive woes with a Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves backcourt than to surround them with three elite defenders that play with athleticism and physicality.

The Lakers plan to give the Jazz, Rockets, and Nuggets $100 million offers their teams would be unable or unwilling to match starting around $25 million per year for RFA’s Walker Kessler, Tari Eason, and Payton Watson.
To strengthen their defense and front court size, the Lakers should also sign Trailblazer UFA Robert Williams III, an elite rim protector and defender in space who’d be the perfect backup center to Walker Kessler,

**LAKERS 2026–27 PROJECTED DEPTH CHART**

Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, and Tari Eason would give the Lakers starting lineup three elite two-way players with size, athleticism, and physicality to complement offense-first Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Meanwhile, Robert Williams III, Kelly Oubre Jr, and Kris Middleton should give the Lakers bench a massive boost both offensively and defensively. The Lakers’ 10-man rotation would be as deep and diverse as the Thunder.

Strategically, the Mark Walter Lakers plan to fast track a path to an NBA championship by using free agency instead of trades to rapidly build a deep and diverse roster without giving up draft capital or matching salaries.

Three Moves To Win Championship

December 31, 2025 by LakerTom 25 Comments

Lakers Split Picks Between This Season & Next Summer

In their first big decision since buying the team, the Mark Walter Lakers must decide whether to use their one first and one second round pick to better their odds to win a ring this season or save them for next summer.

The Lakers’ have two urgent roster needs. If they use their available first and second round picks to improve the team’s chances this season, they will still be able to offer two first round picks on draft day next summer. Frankly, the Lakers are unlikely to be competitive for any player whose price is going to require three or more draft picks but there are probably multiple scenarios where two picks will get a better player than one pick.

Since the Lakers immediate needs are for a starting 3&D small forward and backup shot-blocking center, they should utilize their first round pick for the starting wing and use their second round pick for the backup center.
That would fill their most urgent roster needs and leave them with two first round and one second round pick on draft day next summer plus up to $100 million in cap space to sign their own and other teams’ free agents.

While losing Austin Reaves was a tough blow for the player and team, hot having to start three offense first players suddenly clarifies a very difficult situation and could motivate the Lakers to go all-in to win a championship.
Suddenly, all the angst over whether the Big Three of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves could win a ring don’t matter and the only thing the Lakers have to do now is figure out how to win with what they have.

It’s sad but Reaves getting hurt has the Lakers headed in the right direction. Here are three moves the Lakers can make to win a championship this season and without compromising their grand plans for next summer.

1. ANDREW WIGGINS TRADE

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The Lakers single biggest roster need for this season is to trade for an elite 3&D starting small forward like the Miami Heat’s Andrew Wiggins, who can stretch the floor with his made threes and lock down bigger wing scorers.

Wiggins would be a perfect fit as the starting small forward for the Lakers. Now 30-years old, Wiggins is still in the prime of his career, averaging 16.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 32.4 minutes per game this season.
While the Lakers would prefer a younger, less expensive option, Wiggins is a proven elite point-of-attack defender averaging 1.1 blocks and 1.2 steals per game and shooting 40.7% from three on a solid 4.7 attempts per game.

Trading for Wiggins would cost the Lakers an unprotected 2031 first round pick plus matching salaries of Hachimura, Vincent, and Knecht. The trade would free up two more roster spots and $5.5 million under the first apron.
Until Austin Reaves returns, the Lakers’ starting lineup should have better balance with Luka Doncic at the one, Marcus Smart at the two, Andrew Wiggins at the three, LeBron James at the four, Deandre Ayton at the five.

Starting two elite point-of-attack defensive players like Andrew Wiggins and Marcus Smart would totally transform the Lakers from one of the worst to one of the best two-way starting lineups in the entire league.
The opportunity to test a Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart backcourt for next four to six weeks is one of the silver linings to Austin Reaves injury. Reaves could easily find himself coming off the bench when he returns.

Since Wiggins has a $30 million player option next season, the Lakers will need to sign him to an extension to make sure he will be under contract next summer. His contract could be critical if the Lakers pursue Giannis.

2. ROBERT WILLIAMS TRADE

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The Lakers’ other major roster need is to trade for a quality backup center like the Trailblazers’ Robert Williams III who’s a talented but injury prone backup center who’s elite at defending in space and protecting the rim.

The defense-first Robert Williams would be the perfect complement to backup the offense-first Deandre Ayton, the Lakers’ starting center. There will be times when Williams could even close games when needed.
Williams is now healthy and has played in 20 of the 30 games the Blazers have played. So far this season, Robert’s averaging 6.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 0.6 steals in just 16.1 minutes per game.

Trading for Williams would cost the Lakers an unprotected 2032 second round pick plus matching salaries of Maxi Kleber and Jaxson Hayes. The trade would free up one roster spot and cost $1.2 million in cap space.
Since Williams is on an expiring contract, the Lakers will need to sign him to an extension to make sure he will be under contract next summer. Like with Wiggins, his contract could be critical if the Lakers pursue Giannis.

Having two elite defensive players who can come off the bench when needed like Jarred Vanderbilt and Robert Williams is important to building a legitimate championship roster full of high quality two-way players.
It gives coach Redick the roster versatility to better matchup against any type of problem an opponent throws at them. It’s a luxury that separates teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder from the rest of the NBA’s teams.

Because the Lakers sent out 5 players and close to $50 million in expiring salaries to trade for Wiggins and Williams, they will need to scramble in the emerging buyout market and their two-way players to fill roster spots.

3. BUYOUT MARKET SIGNINGS

**KELLY OUBRE JR., KRIS MIDDLETON, NICK RICHARDS**

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While the Lakers don’t have any starter spots to offer candidates from the NBA buyout market, they do have some big backup minutes available at shooting guard behind Smart and at power forward behind LeBron James.

Besides playing time and a chance to play for a legendary franchise, the Lakers also have something no other contending team has, which is $97.6 million in expiring contracts to sign their and other teams’ free agents.
The beauty of free agency is that you don’t have to give up depth to match salaries or draft capital to sweeten the deal. It’s the smartest and quickest way to build a deep, diverse roster to compete with the Thunder and Spurs.

The two major buyout candidates the Lakers are interested in will be shooting guard Kelly Oubre, Jr. and power forward Kris Middleton. both of whom could be perfect backups for Marcus Smart and LeBron James.
Both are expected to be bought out for financial reasons and the Lakers should be a team both are interested in joining on a minimum contract in hopes of resurrecting their careers and winning a championship ring.

Oubre averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals and shot 34.3% on 5.6 attempted threes in 34.8 minutes per game. Kelly Oubre Jr. would be great insurance for an injury prone Marcus Smart.
Middleton averaged 10.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.8 steals and shot 32.7% on 2/5 attempted threes in 25 minutes per game. Kris Middleton would be solid insurance for an injury prone LeBron James.

I also included a buyout center Nick Richards, whom the Suns are likely to buyout, to use as a third center against bully ball bruiser type centers like Nikola Jokic, Walker Kessler, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mitchell Robinson.

Lakers In Sudden Midseason Crisis! What Can Redick and Pelinka Do?

December 27, 2025 by LakerTom 10 Comments

This Lakers season has been as chaotic as any in history. The highs and lows, dreams and nightmares, buzzer-beating wins and blow-out losses have been fast and furious. Suddenly, it’s now JJ and Rob in the hot seats.

Frankly, the last thing the Lakers should do now is panic and suddenly change their grand strategy because of three straight blow out losses that exposed the current starting lineup and rotation’s defense and chemistry. After all, the 19–10 Lakers still have the 4th best record in the West and the 6th best record in the entire league and their 10–0 record in ‘clutch’ games says something about their ability to exert their will and win close games.

What’s painfully obvious at this moment is that the Lakers’ young head coach JJ Redick is extremely angry and disappointed in how the team has played the last three games and appears to be ready to make big changes.
Complicating the situation is the bad news that the Lakers’ rising young superstar Austin Reaves will now be out for at least four weeks with a calf injury which the Lakers have no option but to be extremely careful about.

The Lakers’ grand plan has been to focus on rebuilding a championship roster around Luka Doncic next summer when they could have three first round picks to trade and $80 million in cap space to sign free agents.
There’s no question superstar injuries and LeBron working himself back into game shape derailed some of the early-team chemistry and late-game magic that Luka and Austin created that raised everybody’s expectations.

But that doesn’t mean nothing can be done. Let’s look specifically at what head coach JJ Redick could do right now to help the Lakers win games and what general manager Rob Pelinka could do to quickly improve the roster.

What Can Head Coach JJ Redick Do Right Now?

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Lakers’ young head coach JJ Redick is obviously feeling the pressure as his defenseless Los Angeles Lakers not only suffered their third straight loss by blowout but also lost rising superstar Austin Reaves for at least four weeks.

There are definitely moves Redick can make with the players he currently has available that could improve the Lakers’ starting lineup’s defense and bench lineup’s offense and enable them to remain a top-six West team.
Unfortunately, unless the Lakers are willing to use their one available first round and second round pick, it will be almost impossible for them to find the elite starting 3&D wing and quality backup defensive center they need.

The silver lining of Reaves’ injury is it gives JJ an opportunity to give a Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart backcourt and a better balanced starting lineup featuring Doncic, Smart, Vanderbilt, James, and Ayton a chance to shine.
Replacing Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura with better defenders in Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt should greatly improve the starting lineup’s defense while Rui’s shooting should boost the bench’s offense.

The Lakers superstar-driven offense has also become too predictable and easy to defend with everybody standing around. The Lakers must embrace analytics and start running plays designed to get open threes and layups.
JJ needs to be careful as head coach not to lose this team, which really means not to lose Luka or LeBron. If there is one thing Redick needs to do to keep his job, it’s getting Luka and LeBron to buy in leading the defense.

The Lakers have an opportunity to see how a starting lineup of Doncic, Smart, Vanderbilt, James, and Ayton with backups of Smith jr., Vincent, Mañon, Hachimura, Hayes could fix some of the Lakers defensive issues.

What Can General Manger Rob Pelinka Do Right Now?

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Rob Pelinka may have been a better fit as general manager of the smaller, less ambitious Buss family version of the Lakers than the larger analytics and data-driven sports business conglomerate Mark Walter is building.

In many ways, Rob’s a strange bird who through his relationship with Kobe was able to win over Jeanie. I just don’t see him happy going forward with a lessor role in a much bigger and more sophisticated Lakers’ front office. It wouldn’t surprise me if Rob were to resign as Lakers’ general manager. There’s no question Jeanie made sure he had a lucrative golden parachute as his reward for helping to build the Lakers into a $10 billion company.

JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka fully understand the extensions they received right before the sale don’t protect their jobs. There’s a reason why Mark Walter has brought in Dodgers’ execs Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi.
As head coach, Redick has more job freedom than Pelinka, who now has to convince an entirely new team of execs who will be a harder and more challenging sell than Jesse and Joey Buss or Kurt and Linda Rambus were.

Make no mistake, while Rob Pelinka will have a say, it will be Mark Walter’s team that makes the final decision whether to invest in winning this year versus positioning the team for a blockbuster bonanza next summer.
In the end, the Lakers have too good of a puncher’s chance with Luka and LeBron not to be willing at least to trade one first and one second round pick to provide an elite starting small forward and backup defensive center.

If the Lakers would use a first and a second to acquire Andrew Wiggins and Robert Williams, they would have a solid puncher’s chance of winning their 18th championship and still be positioned to pull off a summer bonanza.