The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to shake up the roster around Luka Doncic and give him a team that resembles the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks. Los Angeles is also looking to re-sign several key players, with at least two potentially commanding massive salaries.
Though there may be a path toward achieving both goals, they seem to conflict with one another and create some measure of doubt in regard to how realistic the Lakers' vision for an improved roster actually is.
Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported in May that the Lakers believe that "running it back with a mostly similar roster isn’t a palatable option." Most Lakers fans would likely agree, as even after winning 50-plus games and advancing to the second round of the playoffs, the roster has clearly visible flaws.
Furthermore, Woike and Amick reported that the Lakers have promised Doncic that they will build a roster that's comparable to that of the 2024 Mavericks team he reached the NBA Finals with.
Doing so will require Los Angeles to improve its three-point shooting after ranking dead last in catch-and-shoot three-point field goals made in 2025-26. It will also require the front office to find athletic defenders along the wings and make a long-awaited upgrade at center, as Woike and Amick reported that Doncic wants a lob target on offense and a rim protector on defense.
The problem is: Los Angeles' goal of re-signing certain key players would make that goal less tenable and could thus force the purple and gold to set their sights a bit lower.
Lakers made promises to Luka, yet want to re-sign expensive players?
Austin Reaves will reportedly receive an offer sheet from the Brooklyn Nets in the range of four years and $178.5 million. Even if the Lakers are able to pay less per season, all signs point to Reaves commanding a salary of roughly $40 million per season.
Los Angeles is also reportedly interested in re-signing all of LeBron James, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart. They must also make decisions on Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes, who were among the team's best defenders in 2025-26.
Perhaps there is a world in which the Lakers can bring all six of those players back. It certainly makes sense, as Los Angeles has significant roster voids to fill with seven of their top nine players in minutes per game in 2025-26 eligible for unrestricted free agency.
One simply can't help but wonder if that's not the exact thing they're reportedly hoping to avoid: "running it back with a mostly similar roster."
Rumors sure seem to point Lakers in direction of "running it back"
A starting-caliber center will be an expensive player to acquire. The same can be said for athletic wing defenders and productive three-point shooters. Even if the Lakers prioritize acquiring said contributors, their available cap space will be consumed rather quickly if they succeed in signing ideal fits for such pivotal roles.
The Lakers will then have to face the harsh reality that the second apron could be waiting for them if they pay the necessary price for all of their prioritized free agents.
Perhaps the Lakers truly are a starting-caliber center and a 3-and-D specialist away from competing with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. It's also plausible that Los Angeles will strike gold at the 2026 NBA Draft and finally develop talent from within to fill out the rotation.
One simply can't help but feel as though delivering the dream offseason they asked Doncic to wait for will be complicated by the tightrope they're walking between running it back and actually creating change.
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