The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be in an increasingly solid position this coming offseason to make roster upgrades and really put Luka Doncic in a position to be successful with this franchise for the long-term. But with that being said, Rob Pelinka is going to have to come to understand that the concept of a "big three" is now a bit outdated in the NBA.
When the summer comes, the Lakers will have cap space and likely a desire to make a flashy move to put another high-level player alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves. But as tempting as this would be to do, it would ultimately be a misguided approach.
As we know, the reality of the way the NBA is set up today is that teams win primarily with depth and versatility rather than with star trios. The days of the Miami Heatles and the KD Warriors-style teams are largely over thanks to how the financial structure is now set up within the collective bargaining agreement. Teams like that with heavy star power at the top are increasingly harder to put together, and they end up being far less sustainable.
The Lakers need to embrace new-school team-building
The model to follow in this day and age is the one mastered by the last two NBA champions, the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those teams won their titles through constructing a roster built deep with talent that perfectly played into how they wanted to win as a team. It's a harder way to roster-build than just going out and acquiring a superstar in some cases, but it's also how it has to be done now.
As such, Pelinka will have to take a good look around at the other teams in the NBA and realize this fact before opting to green-light a move to bring in a big-name, high-cost player. If such a trade were made, it would certainly sell more tickets at Crypto.com Arena and lead to a lot more hype around the team, but it wouldn't be the smartest idea from a big-picture perspective.
If LA wants to be serious about creating a real, sustainable winning roster around number 77, patience and discipline will matter a lot more than chasing stars. The right supporting pieces may not blow up on social media or make the more casual fan excited, but they're far more likely to deliver consistent success and a real championship window over time.