Everything changed for the Los Angeles Lakers when Nico Harrison and the Mavericks gifted Luka Dončić to them. Their strategy shifted from scrambling to win another title with LeBron James to having a new face of the franchise, who turned 26 at the end of February. The Lakers' goal was to maintain financial flexibility this summer, but they're still in a position to win it all.
In a piece published on Monday morning, ESPN's Bobby Marks discussed the two timelines that Los Angeles is teetering between. He noted that the Lakers could have "up to $50 million" in cap space next summer, and potentially twice as much as that in 2027. Marks questioned if the Lakers can "afford to be patient, waiting until next summer with James on the roster?"
Marks reiterated Dave McMenamin's report from last month that the team is "open to trading for a player on a contract that extends beyond 2026." The Lakers have two first-round picks (2031 and 2032) to offer in a trade and have first-round pick swap rights for five years.
Dončić made it clear that he wants to chase a title now, rather than waiting around. Depending on how the first few months of the season go for Los Angeles, the first office could make a trade before the deadline, acquiring a player to boost its title odds.
Trades are always risky, at least to some degree, but especially for the Lakers, as a shortsighted move could hurt their chances of winning a title with Dončić sooner rather than later.
Lakers need to establish the direction they want to go in
Dončić hasn't even hit his prime yet. After the offseason that he had, he should be entering what will be the best season of his career. That will only continue.
Los Angeles didn't have a splashy offseason, relying on what players like Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart can contribute, but if those moves work in their favor, they could manage to secure an outright playoff berth by finishing in the top six of the West.
It's impossible to know who will be available midseason (the Giannis trade saga will continue if the Bucks struggle to get off to a slow start), so it's still too early to say which direction the Lakers should take. The obvious answer is that whoever is available will need to fit alongside Dončić. Los Angeles will want his input.
The Lakers can't add a player to their final roster spot until mid-January, unless they first make a trade to shed salary. December and January are when trade action starts to get interesting, with the deadline set for February 5. Whatever Rob Pelinka and Co. decide will be critical to LA's championship hopes, assuming it'll cost at least a first-round pick.