Who are the Los Angeles Lakers going to be when the dust on the offseason settles? The immediate answer to that would hopefully be a team that is built around Luka Doncic. From there, the question becomes: How does Rob Pelinka accomplish that?
The messaging has been to essentially rebuild what the Dallas Mavericks had around Doncic before they giftwrapped him and sent the superstar point guard to Los Angeles. That is easier said than done, but more importantly, it ignores the fact of the Mavericks never breaking through with Doncic as their leading man.
A combination of available players should allow the Lakers to surround Luka with one thing above all else: toughness. There should be an offseason path for Los Angeles to turn their roster into one that no teams enjoy playing against.
That comes through bringing in the right type of personalities in the players they add to the team. Retaining Marcus Smart would be the start of that. Adding Luguentz Dort, who has been linked to the Lakers, and Isaiah Stewart, who has been made readily available by the Detroit Pistons, would solidify that plan.
Lakers can turn themselves into a hard-nosed basketball team
“The toughest team sets the rules,” Smart said during the 2025-26 Lakers season.
With the trio in question, Los Angeles would never be outclassed in that regard. There would be a sense of dread for opponents who see the Lakers on their schedule.
Smart was a relentless defender throughout all of last season in Los Angeles. Any offensive player who saw him across the court knew they were in for an evening of scraping and clawing for every bucket they were going to get. There is an undeniable mental exhaust that gets created from dealing with a competitor of that caliber.
Dort is another bulky pest who can create similar problems for the teams he faces. The Oklahoma City Thunder wing hounds his matchups with a level of physicality that can more closely resemble a football game than a basketball matchup. Fanbases across the league despise the man who has been notably anointed as “The Dorture Chamber.”
Stewart is another one of the league’s premier defenders. The Pistons center is a strong shutdown player down low and even has a lot of mobility to boot for someone of his size. Nothing comes easy against Beef Stew.
Having those three on one team would create a safe floor for the type of effort the Lakers would get on a nightly basis. Even on an off night, Los Angeles would still be a team who can hang their hat on outworking their opponent.
There could be some offensive concerns that come from the limitations of Smart and Dort, in particular. However, there is also an incredibly safe floor for buckets when Doncic is in the building. Few players — if any — are as talented at generating scoring opportunities as the Lakers superstar.
Surrounding Doncic with multiple bulldogs would allow his team to be both one that can win with finesse and flash, while also securing results through grit and fire. There should be a ton of understandable appeal in creating a group capable of both.
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