The Los Angeles Lakers probably did all they could at this trade deadline — if they can land Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason. Because if that happens, then any moves the Lakers made (or didn't make) this season were worth it. If they don't land Giannis, then we may look back at this season and ask ourselves why the Lakers didn't do more to improve their roster in the current day.
Letting Ayo Dosunmu go to the Minnesota Timberwolves is one of those moves. Dosunmu, whom the Lakers showed interest in last offseason, was traded for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and two second-round picks in the hours before the deadline. The Lakers could have easily matched that offer — or one-upped it, if they were willing to throw in a first-round pick for Dosunmu, who was having a breakout season in Chicago, averaging 15 points per game.
But the Lakers didn't want to sacrifice a first-rounder because all of those picks will be required in their upcoming pursuit of Giannis. That pursuit isn't guaranteed to be fruitful, though, and if they don't land him, then all of those assets they saved up feel way less valuable.
In other words — the Lakers might be screwing themselves over by prioritizing a future roster over the current roster, which, oh yeah, is still pretty good!
Adding Ayo Dosunmu (or a player of similar production) could have been what takes these Lakers to really good, but instead the Lakers mostly held steady as Dosunmu heads to Minnesota, another Western Conference contender.
Lakers are still trying to compete this year
This is the strangest part of the Lakers' season. Everyone seems to be looking toward the future and putting all their eggs in the Giannis basket... Meanwhile, the 2025-26 Lakers are 31-19 and could easily shoot up to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. That's not the resume of a team fans should shrug off and watch with disdain until the next, better version of the team is created in a few months.
No, these Lakers aren't good enough to beat the fully healthy Oklahoma City Thunder. But weird things happen in the playoffs! Players get hurt, teams get hot, and before you know it, a couple lucky breaks land a team in the conference finals.
I understand why the Lakers want to chase Giannis. Obviously. He's a superstar. But things are good now — and the Lakers completely dismissing that reality at the trade deadline to load up for a superstar chase that might not work could age like milk.