The glitz and glam of Hollywood should be well on its way to recapturing the allure that previously brought so many players to the City of Angels. That is the opinion of one key figure in NBA circles, at the least.
The Los Angeles Lakers have always been viewed as a premier offseason destination. Who would not want to play in the biggest media market in the NBA? The advertising deals, endorsements, etc. do wonders for making the time spent in Los Angeles worthwhile to a lot of players. Despite that, the Lakers have somewhat struggled to lure in free agents of late.
One does not have to look much further than the previous offseason. Even with the attractive draw of playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis being present, the Lakers failed to significantly bolster the roster in free agency. Their biggest offseason addition was done through the 2024 NBA Draft, when they selected Dalton Knecht with the 17th overall pick. Apart from that, the roster remained largely similar to that of the previous season.
The 2025 offseason should be different. That is the general feeling, at least, after the Lakers hit a slam dunk with the Luka Doncic trade. Was one deal enough to completely rehabilitate a team's image and make Los Angeles a top free agent destination once more? Top NBA trainer Drew Hanlen did not hesitate in thinking so.
Hanlen unapologetically highlights why the Lakers are attractive once more
Hanlen recently joined the Kevin O'Connor Show to discuss a plethora of items, including the one at the forefront of this article. For those unfamiliar with his game, Kevin O'Connor did a great job of painting the picture of some of the major figures that Hanlen has worked with in the episode's title. Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the most notable examples.
"I think that it's going to be the most attractive destination this summer for free agents," the renowned trainer told O'Connor. "There's going to be a lot of talking about, 'hey, just come here, get underpaid for a year, and then you'll get overpaid the following year."
The implications of Hanlen's comments signal that even if Los Angeles struggles to piece it together in this first half-season go-around with Doncic and James, there should be every opportunity to really establish themselves for the 2025-26 NBA season.
"I think we'll see the Lakers make a big splash in the offseason and I think [they] have a more of a chance to be a real contender next year," Hanlen concluded.
With Los Angeles having plenty of holes that could use plugging during the upcoming offseason, Lakers fans everywhere will surely hope O'Connor's guest was spot on with his assessment.