With the Oklahoma City Thunder having sealed the Los Angeles Lakers’ trip to Cancun, the focus officially shifts to one of the biggest offseasons in recent franchise history. It is time for the Lakers to give Luka Doncic what he needs to truly compete for a championship.
The formula for an ideal rebuild around Doncic should be perfectly clear. The Lakers need a strong second option, 3-and-D players on the wings, and two centers who can rotate in and out while effectively catching lobs and defending the rim on the back end.
Some of that is already in-house for the Lakers. Other parts of eqution will require Los Angeles parting ways with who currently occupies a roster spot to make room — financially and fit-wise. With that in mind, there are a handful of players that stand out as incredibly necessary pieces to see sent packing ahead of the 2026 offseason.
Deandre Ayton
Already mentioned in the headline is the most obvious name of the bunch. Deandre Ayton needs to find a new home this summer.
Ayton’s inconsistency has been a never-ending headache for the Lakers in 2025-26. There are moments when the starting center looks capable of diving to the rim and operating as a pick-and-roll partner for Doncic. There are others in which Ayton is just too indecisive with the ball or just fumbles it altogether on his way to the basket.
This is all said before mentioning the defensive lapses of the former first overall pick. Ayton is just not good enough on a regular basis at protecting the interior on defense. Any team that features Doncic at the forefront requires as much with consistency.
Ayton has a player option coming up for 2026-27. If the Lakers center does opt in, Rob Pelinka should move quickly to unload him elsewhere in a trade.
Maxi Kleber
Maxi Kleber’s three-year, $33 million deal will expire heading into the offseason. There should be very little reason to bring him back in free agency to Los Angeles.
Kleber arrived as a part of the Doncic trade before the 2025 NBA trade deadline. Since then, the veteran big man has offered little to no substantial impact in a Lakers uniform on the court.
At 34 years old, it is fair to wonder whether the German big man is still an NBA-caliber player. If someone deems Kleber to still be at that level, it should not be the Lakers.
Dalton Knecht
Dalton Knecht is someone who has overstayed his welcome in Los Angeles. The wheels really began to fall off for Knecht after the infamous Mark Williams trade that never was. The Lakers sharpshooter has been incapable of sustaining a spot in JJ Redick’s rotation since.
Knecht has been somewhat miscast on the Lakers. The former first-round pick operates best as a scorer, rather than an off-ball shooter. However, it is the latter that Los Angeles wants from him on team with Doncic.
Couple that with the fact of Knecht’s defense being incredibly lackluster, and Redick has been given plenty of reasons to keep his sophomore scorer glued to the bench.
Knecht has inexplicably survived plenty of major stretches post-Williams trade debacle without being moved, despite constant speculation about his future in Los Angeles. Whether it be for a couple of second rounders, or a different buy-low player, this should be the offseason in which the 25-year-old finally puts on new threads.
Jarred Vanderbilt
Jarred Vanderbilt’s best days may already be behind him. After years of navigating injuries, the Lakers forward remains a solid energy guy, but not much more beyond that.
Vanderbilt has floated in and out of Redick’s rotations. They have also butted heads over the course of this past season. Anytime Vando is on the court seems to speak more to the Lakers’ depleted depth than it does his own ability at this point.
Vanderbilt still has two years remaining on an unflattering $48 million deal. This should poise him to be a salary-matching tool for Pelinka when the moment arises to get a real upgrade during the offseason.
Much like the rest of the players on here, Vando just does not satisfy what Doncic needs moving forward. Even when his defense is on, his offense rarely follows, limiting the two-way upside needed around Luka.
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