The Los Angeles Lakers have committed to helping Luka Doncic compete for a championship this coming season. Whether or not they'll be able to do so, 2026-27 will be Doncic's second full campaign with the Lakers and he's now entering his athletic prime at 27 years of age.
Though the effort to win now should be the top priority, the Lakers shouldn't sacrifice the development of Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero to achieve that goal.
Los Angeles has invested heavily in a new-look rotation that it hopes will be able to produce championship glory. It spent $130 million, two unprotected first-round draft picks, and two pick swaps on Walker Kessler, as well as $60 million on Quentin Grimes, $52 million on Sandro Mamukelashvili, and $19,200,300 on Collin Sexton.
Los Angeles has also restructured its second unit by taking chances on the likes of Jaden Hardy, Kevon Looney, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams.
Though the Lakers are paying big money for immediate results, the future is as relevant as it's ever been. Teams that build for the now and sacrifice tomorrow typically shorten their windows, whereas those that balance their priorities are able to evolve as their young players develop into affordable upgrades who already know their system.
That's exactly what Carr and Thiero could become if the Lakers not only prioritize their development behind the scenes, but provide them with meaningful minutes.
Lakers must balance winning now with developing the future in real time
The likes of Grimes, Hardy, Sexton, Thybulle, and Williams may very well factor into the Lakers' future rotations. Grimes and Sexton are safe bets considering they signed multi-year contracts, while Hardy is a sharpshooting guard, Thybulle is a defensive specialist, and Williams has a fairly unique profile as a versatile and athletic 6'9" defender.
Hardy, Sexton, Thybulle, and Williams will all be eligible for free agency next summer, however, whereas Carr and Thiero are promising prospects signed to rookie-scale contracts through 2028 and 2030 respectively.
Carr is a rangy three-point shooter on top of being an alluring athlete and defensive prospect. If nothing else, the Lakers could realistically develop him into a high-level 3-and-D wing whose three-level scoring potential can be refined over time.
Thiero, meanwhile, is a 6'8" powerhouse whose length, strength, athleticism, and competitiveness make him the type of project most coaches dream of taking on. It's not hard to understand the extremely ambitious OG Anunoby upside comparisons.
Rather than disregarding Carr and Thiero if they struggle in 2026-27, the Lakers must find ways to keep them consistently involved. They have the potential to be high-level starters alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, but they need time to learn by fire rather than simply watching and hoping to retain what they're seeing without putting it into practice.
It's difficult to ask a team with immediate ambitions and a superstar in their prime to play the long game, but the Lakers need to prioritize their young building blocks over quick-fix solutions that may not last.
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