Rob Pelinka worked to address the depth of the Los Angeles Lakers during the summer of 2025. The results of those ventures have been encouraging, but far from definitive. The team needs more and there can be no letup from the front office in continuing to bolster what they have.
Jovan Buha pointed out the team's struggles on a recent episode of his podcast. The area has just not received the love and care that is required to truly be a contender in recent years.
Buha said, "They rarely go beyond seven deep of quality rotation guys. They're putting [out] eighth and ninth men that should be 11th men for a lot of other teams. We've seen in the playoffs, the lack of depth has really hurt them in the couple Denver series and the Minnesota series."
The latter should still be fresh enough in everyone's minds to really help get this point across. The best parts of a rotation will always carry the load once the postseason comes around. That includes having top stars play heavier minutes. However, a big part of the formula should also be having dependable options off the bench that can be trusted to stay in there when matchups call for it.
Years of neglect have cost the Lakers dearly in their depth
To the credit of Pelinka and the front office, they are off to a good start. Adding Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart in free agency was a step in the right direction.
Those three should join Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura to make a formidable top seven. That right there pretty much proves, word for word, exactly what Buha was discussing. The Lakers only run deep to a limited capacity.
Granted, it is still an improvement over only having five playable figures in a playoff matchup, as was seen in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The momentum needs to keep building in this area.
Even some of the pieces among those seven will enter the new season with sizeable question marks. For Ayton, it would be needing to see him refocused. For Smart, it will be his durability that is tested.
The concerns only grow when moving down the depth chart and wondering what type of production will be found from figures like Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Dalton Knecht, and others. There are few comfortable guarantees to be found with that group.
Pelinka will need to seize every legitimate opportunity to further improve the depth. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers proved the value of it last season. That lesson should not be lost on the Lakers.