The 2026 offseason is set to be crazy, not just for the Los Angeles Lakers but for the entire NBA. With names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Donovan Mitchell all potentially on the move this summer, it reinforces how strong of a position the Lakers are in.
While other teams get desperate searching for superstars, Rob Pelinka can focus on other holes in LA's roster because he already has Luka Doncic.
Every NBA offseason is crazy nowadays, as star players are always asking out, unexpected trades happen, or shocking front-office moves create a complete pivot for a franchise. This summer may be that on steroids with a Giannis trade looking more certain than ever before.
After a Giannis trade happens, the GMs of opposing teams that struck out in Giannis trade talks or simply didn't have the assets to pull off a deal are going to be scrambling. That's when the Kawhi and Mitchell trade talks will really kick into gear.
After that, it'll be players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Ja Morant, and maybe even Kevin Durant who become hot names on the trade market. Thankfully for the Lakers, they get to avoid all of that and focus on roster-building. I hate to keep bringing it up, but it's all thanks to the Luka-for-AD trade.
Lakers already solved the NBA’s hardest problem thanks to Luka Doncic
When the Luka trade happened, it was shocking. Even now, looking back on everything that transpired after the fact, with Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd being fired and a new era centered on Cooper Flagg underway, it's wild to think Dallas was in the Finals just two years ago.
Nonetheless, the Luka trade was viewed as a blessing for the Lakers when it happened. That point continues to be proven true as time moves on.
With LeBron James' career coming to an end sometime in the near future, the Lakers didn't really have a post-LeBron plan. They had Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, but the NBA continues to show us that to be a championship contender, you need a top-10 or fringe top-10 player in the league.
LA didn't have that. Due to that, they would have been in the same boat as teams like the Miami Heat are going to be in the upcoming summer: star hunting.Â
But that reality changed with Doncic.
Not only does LA have a top-10 player in the prime of his career to build around, but Luka is also arguably the best player in the world. A jumbo guard who is lethal everywhere on offense and averages a near 30-point triple-double, who else is doing that? Nikola Jokic, that’s about it.
With Doncic at the helm, this offseason doesn’t become a cakewalk for the Lakers—their path to building a title contender is much easier than most. When teams trade for stars, it costs a lot and often leaves the team with major holes and no money to plug them with.
For Pelinka and the Lakers, they not only have their superstar locked in for the foreseeable future but also the money to round out their roster with exactly what Luka needs around him.
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