The Los Angeles Lakers have been active in the early days of free agency, and while the addition of Deandre Ayton was a much-needed move to address their frontcourt issues, their depth remains a concern. Despite adding Ayton, the Lakers have already missed a key opportunity to further bolster their bench, with the latest blow being their inability to secure Ryan Rollins.
According to Shams Charania, Rollins’ stellar performances earned him a full contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, culminating in a $12 million deal after he proved himself during the latter part of the season.
Rollins, a 2022 second-rounder, joined the Bucks on a two-way contract in Feb. 2024 and spent most of 2024-25 on a two-way before receiving a standard deal in March. He opted for a rest of season contract, became an unrestricted free agent and now is rewarded with a $12M deal. https://t.co/uVZ5oa8rfA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 7, 2025
What Rollins brings to the table:
Rollins was the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and spent his first two seasons bouncing between the G League and the NBA. After starting the 2024-25 season on a two-way contract, Rollins quickly showed he was ready for a bigger role. By March, he earned a full spot on the Bucks' roster, and his performance down the stretch was hard to ignore. In the final 10 games of the regular season, Rollins averaged 11.8 points and 4 assists, shooting an incredible 58% from three-point range. That kind of efficiency and playmaking from a guard off the bench is exactly what the Lakers need.
Rollins' full season stats do not jump off the page as he only averaged 6.2 points, 1.9 boards and 1.9 assists per game. But with that being said his talent does not only show up on the stat sheet. He does the little things every team loves and he shows extreme heart and hustle. Even with those numbers being poor they jumped out to 10.2 points, 3.2 boards and 2.9 assists as a starter when Damian Lillard missed time with injury,
Standing at 6'4", Rollins offers size, defense, and the ability to space the floor. He has all the qualities a championship contender needs from a bench guard. With LeBron James, and Luka Doncic in the fold, the Lakers need contributors who can come in and make an impact both in the regular season and postseason. Rollins had the upside to be that cost-effective piece off the bench, ready to take on bigger roles as needed. Instead, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office watched from the sidelines.
Fans are not thrilled.
It is especially frustrating because the Lakers championship window with Lebron is almost at a close and they are not doing anything to help him out. Pelinka’s inability to pull the trigger is hard to deal with at times but missing out on this one might truly come back to haunt them.