The Los Angeles Lakers have had quite the offseason, from leaving the draft with Cameron Carr to learning that LeBron James wouldn't suit up in purple and gold again. They've been busy and are still pursuing Jonathan Kuminga, but for the most part, things have settled down.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season and evaluating what LA will look like with its new additions, namely Walker Kessler, is exciting, but what about those whom the Lakers moved on from? Specifically, the ones on new teams and still unsigned? Sorry, Maxi Kleber, Drew Timme, and Nick Smith Jr.
You can argue that Los Angeles will miss at least a little something from its big offseason departures, even DeAndre Ayton, who sits at the top of the list because we're going in reverse order, from who will be missed the least to who will be missed the most.
DeAndre Ayton
In another lifetime, DeAndre Ayton would be entering his second season as the Lakers' starting center after revitalizing his career in Los Angeles. We don't live in that lifetime, wherever it is, as the 28-year-old is preparing for his first season with the Wizards after this summer's trade.
Ayton had his moments in LA, especially during the second half of the year, but he didn't live up to what the optimists hoped he'd be after the Lakers snagged him after the Trail Blazers agreed to buy out his contract last summer.
The Lakers have a new starting center in Walker Kessler, with Kevon Looney as the primary backup (at least right now). Los Angeles could actually miss Ayton more than it should because of its backup big man (fingers crossed that doesn't happen), but even then, if things don't go well with him, they'd probably miss Jaxson Hayes more, which is why Ayton is at the bottom of this list.
Luke Kennard
Kennard's time in Los Angeles was short and sweet. He arrived as part of the Gabe Vincent trade before the February deadline and averaged a solid 9.0 points per game on 44.8% shooting from three to close out the regular season. In the playoffs, that number rose to 11.5 points per contest on 47.4% shooting from deep (on 3.8 attempts).
The guard hit the market as an unrestricted free agent, and the Lakers let him walk to the Suns, as he signed a two-year, $13 million deal.
Kennard's shooting was a plus for Los Angeles in the short months he was there, but the Lakers needed much more on the defensive end. Rather than pay him, they added players like Quentin Grimes, who can shoot and defend, and have their eye on Kuminga, who could blossom into a true 3-and-D wing in LA.
Given the offseason the Lakers have had, they shouldn't miss Kennard much, though he should have his share of solid shooting outings with the Suns that may make them think twice, but that's it.
Jaxson Hayes
Jaxson Hayes got his Slovenian passport in June, which was enough for most people to think that he'd return with the Lakers as a backup center. So much for that, as he signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Jazz. Los Angeles and Utah swapped centers, just not in a trade.
After the Lakers signed Looney as a backup in free agency, fans wondered why the team didn't make a push to re-sign Hayes, who spent three seasons in Los Angeles and better fits the description of a quality backup than Looney.
If the Lakers don't add another big to the roster, which is what many fans have hoped for after they signed Looney, the former Warriors champion can maybe prove to be serviceable, but for how long? And what happens if Kessler gets hurt?
That's where the missing Hayes will come in. Los Angeles saved several million by signing Looney to a one-year, $3.9 million deal, quite a bit less than what Hayes is making in Utah, but those savings might not matter in a few months.
Marcus Smart
It felt like the Lakers had been betrayed when Marcus Smart left in free agency to sign a two-year, $13 million deal with the Rockets, even more so because he looked like the player he once was this past season in Los Angeles.
And it's not like LA is overflowing with good perimeter defenders, which is why Smart is higher up on this list. Even if the Lakers get the kind of production they're hoping for out of Collin Sexton, Smart's absence could (and probably will) still be felt, even more so because he's playing for the Rockets, whom he helped LA get by in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.
Even at 32 (very young compared to the top player on the list), Smart can still be a valuable contributor, as we saw this past season, but the Lakers felt he wasn't worth investing in for at least a couple more years. It won't be long before they're proven right (or wrong). Maybe a little of both.
Rui Hachimura
Losing Rui Hachimura stung for several reasons: it happened in free agency, so Los Angeles got nothing in return, and he signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers. He's certainly not on a better team, but as he'll still reside in LA, the Lakers will be reminded more of what they lost.
Hachimura is an ideal fit next to Dončić, something LA specifically looks for. He spaces the floor with his shooting, as he shot 44.3% in the regular season on 3.9 attempts per game and 56.9% on 5.8 attempts per game in the playoffs. That alone is enough to miss him, which would've been even more so the case if he had done more on the defensive end.
Even with his struggles, it would've been nice to see Hachimura back. He's 28 years old, just one year older than Dončić, so he fits the timeline of LA's superstar, who also wanted Rui back.
The regret about Hachimura's departure hasn't set in yet, but given that he should have a bigger role with the Clippers, it's coming. What better place for him to remind the Lakers what they could've had (or how they should've used him) than across town?
LeBron James
Of the players on this list, LeBron James' absence will be felt most because he's LeBron James. He will also be missed the most, even though it seemed best for both sides to move on. We know the Lakers were ready to welcome him back for his 24th season, but at least they had a heads-up that he was leaving, so they could plan their offseason attack.
Even at 41, LeBron remains one of the league's most impactful players. It's a good thing to have him as your No. 3 option, a role he accepted in the second half of last season when Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves were still healthy. Los Angeles seemed to have it figured out, at least enough to make a deep playoff run.
Of course, we all know what happened. Without LeBron, they wouldn't have made it past Houston in the first round. It was his last big hurrah with the Lakers, though no one knew it at the time, which made his departure sting even more, even though everyone knew it was possible because he was an unrestricted free agent.
There will be plenty of times next season when Los Angeles misses LeBron, for all he gives on and off the court. That much is unavoidable, even more so if the Lakers don't get Kuminga, and even then, LA will still miss him. Hopefully, it just won't be too much.
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