The Los Angeles Lakers completely retooled their roster around Luka Doncic this summer, and nine of the ten moves Rob Pelinka made have a potential aspect the franchise could regret. They let LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, and Nick Smith Jr. walk in free agency. That is a lot of talent to lose without any return. Pelinka wanted to make this Luka’s team, but it didn’t go perfectly.
The Lakers are still searching for upgrades. They need a starting power forward and a backup big man. They used all their cap space, so Pelinka is trying to work the trade market. Multiple Lakers are on the trade block, but LA doesn’t have a lot of chips to make a deal.
Credit to Pelinka for trying to build around Doncic, but nearly every move could backfire. There will be nobody to point to but the top decision-maker. The Lakers could have avoided nearly all of these pitfalls if Pelinka stepped up his negotiating.
The Lakers could regret giving Austin Reaves a near-max contract
Reaves got a four-year, $184.7 million contract to return to the Lakers, which was nearly a full max deal. Every dollar counts in the second apron era. Reaves keeps improving, but he has never been an All-Star and is coming off a year in which he played just 51 games.
The Pistons were rumored to be preparing a max offer, but getting AR to take a bit less would have allowed the Lakers more future wiggle room to build out their roster.
Luka wanted Reaves to return, so Pelinka offered a near max to ensure the Lakers didn’t lose him. They needed to work out a discount with AR to keep him in Los Angeles and give the Lakers flexibility to build around their star duo. Pelinka and the Lakers will regret this contract if they need just a bit more money to add a future piece.
Lakers will wish they didn’t give up so much to land Walker Kessler
The Lakers gave up two unprotected first-round draft picks and two first-round swaps to sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler. This was unquestionably an overpay for a player that has never garnered an award vote outside of finishing third for Rookie of the Year.
On top of the draft capital, the Lakers had to give him a $129.4 million contract. The Jazz were already paying $95.1 million to Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the frontcourt. There had to be a price point where Utah would have let Kessler go for less. LA might have had to spend a bit more, but they could have gotten creative with his contract to make that work.
Even keeping a swap out of the equation would have perked up the potential trade packages LA could offer for their missing pieces. Giving up a ton of capital and a massive contract was just too much unless Kessler can become an All-Star big man. So far, he has not reached those heights.
Overpaying Quentin Grimes won’t age well for the Lakers
The Lakers gave Grimes a four-year, $60 million contract in free agency. This is a 26-year-old wing that hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2023. The Lakers are his fifth different team in four years. Dallas traded Grimes because they didn’t want to pay him. Philadelphia couldn’t work out a deal in restricted free agency, which forced Grimes to accept the qualifying offer.
Now, the Lakers gave him the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception in free agency. This is a player who rated below league average by win shares per 48 minutes and was 238th of 582 players who played in the NBA last season in value over replacement player (VORP). The Lakers paid handsomely for a reserve guard that hasn’t been able to find a home.
The 26-year-old hopes to change the narrative in Los Angeles, but what if the Lakers are just like the 76ers, Mavericks, Pistons, and Knicks? They will have a long-term deal on their books that may be difficult to move. Rob Pelinka just faced this problem with Gabe Vincent, but that didn’t stop him from paying Grimes.
Lakers shouldn’t have given Sandro Mamukelashvili a player option
Role players were not getting four years this offseason, and they weren't having player options in the final season if they were. The Lakers gave Grimes and Mamu a player option for the 2029-30 season, which was totally unnecessary. LA was the only contender with cap space. They weren’t losing these role players by leaving out the player options.
Mamukelashvili is a career reserve coming off a breakout season. No other team was giving him four years or $52 million. He made $2.4 million last season. Mamu fits well with the Lakers and could take another step forward, but there was no reason for Rob Pelinka to give him a player option on a four-year contract.
Lakers’ Collin Sexton signing won’t age well
Sexton has failed to make the playoffs in each of his first eight NBA seasons. The Cavaliers had a four-year playoff drought before trading Sexton as part of the package for Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland has made the playoffs for four straight years since that move. The Jazz traded Sexton last offseason and are ready to get back to contention. The Hornets dumped him at the deadline and hope to get back to the playoffs in 2027.
Sexton has primarily been a starter, but it hasn’t translated to winning. The Lakers signed him to be their sixth man and gave the veteran guard a player option for the 2027-28 season. This deal will likely go like Ayton’s. He will opt in next summer, and the Lakers will try to trade him. Sadly, there won’t be much of a market for Sexton.
The 6’3 guard is a score-first option. His efficiency is strong, but his defense will be a problem. Sexton will get his first taste of the playoffs, but he will be virtually unplayable when the games matter most.
Deandre Ayton trade continues to hang over the Lakers
The Lakers traded Ayton for Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks. Most people thought that was the start of the franchise making a trade for a starting forward, but no deal has materialized. Now, LA needs a backup center and should regret dumping Ayton.
Hardy is not an answer for the Lakers. He is an undersized, score-first guard that offers nothing but a few buckets. Los Angeles needs a big man. Their answer will be a downgrade from Ayton, and the two second-round picks they acquired won’t help the purple and gold upgrade their roster.
Lakers will regret giving Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams 1-year deals
Thybulle is an outstanding defender, and Williams is 24 years old with 3-and-D potential. Those could be two crucial pieces around Doncic and Reaves this season. Expect both to play well and make an impact. Sadly, the Lakers will lose them next summer as other teams will be able to offer more in free agency.
This will be like the Marcus Smart situation. The Lakers will get strong production from Thybulle and Williams. Fans won’t want to see them go, but better offers will be too good to pass up in free agency after they shine in LA.
Lakers’ Kevon Looney signing will age like milk
Looney was out of the Pelicans’ rotation last season. The Warriors moved on because they saw signs of decline, and Loon looked washed with the Pelicans. He played in just 21 games and rated as dead on replacement level by VORP.
The 30-year-old won three championships with the Warriors. He could become a leader and veteran presence, but the Lakers shouldn’t expect massive on-court impact. Looney is projected to be the backup center, and that is a problem. He will struggle in that role and ultimately be dropped from the nightly rotation.
This was a minimum signing, but expect this to be the 6’9 big man’s only year with the Lakers.
Lakers won’t regret drafting Cameron Carr for a second
Carr looked like an absolute steal in summer league. The 24th overall pick was spacing the floor, operating without the ball, and showing defensive potential. The Lakers need athletic 3-and-D wings to put around Luka. Carr looks ready to make an impact with the upside to grow into a long-term starter next to number 77.
Carr’s size and versatility made him intriguing. He already looks better than what fans saw at Baylor. Head coach JJ Redick will turn Carr into a dynamic offensive weapon that Luka will love to find.
Credit to Rob Pelinka. He looks like he finally nailed a draft pick. His track record was abysmal before taking Carr. Fans hope this is the start of a turnaround as the draft is more important than ever in the second apron era.
The Los Angeles Lakers could regret every offseason move but drafting Cameron Carr because of a mistake Rob Pelinka made. The general manager has had a rocky tenure leading the Lakers. He needs this retool to work, or the pressure will mount. All of these moves have downside. Hopefully, things work out. If they don’t, Pelinka will likely be fired. All fans can do is stay tuned to see how it all plays out.
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