Luka Doncic, Lakers get concerning trade news that would derail offseason
· Yahoo Sports
Luka Doncic, Lakers get concerning trade news that would derail offseason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There’s one thing the Los Angeles Lakers can’t afford to do during the offseason if they want to contend for a championship in 2026-27: retain a significant portion of the contributors from this year’s squad.
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Assets like Dalton Knecht (limited offensively and a defensive liability), Deandre Ayton (inconsistent on both ends), Jarred Vanderbilt (non-existent perimeter shooting), and Maxi Kleber (simply hasn’t proven he’s worthy of extended playing time) should be looking for new homes this summer.
According to Heavy’s Sean Deveney, though, Los Angeles may not shake up its roster as fans anticipate, which is concerning news for Luka Doncic and the Lakers.
“Word is that the Lakers like a lot of the players they have on hand, and rather than making sweeping changes to the roster, could instead bring back a lot of last season’s players with just one midrange addition worth in the $20 million AAV range, likely for a big man,” Deveney wrote Monday.
While it’s great that it appears the Lakers will target a forward/center who will assist Doncic in pick-and-roll situations, it isn’t a good sign that Deveney doesn’t believe the franchise will address another noticeable need: a three-and-D wing or two.
Trey Murphy, Lu Dort, Kelly Oubre, and Peyton Watson are all multi-dimensional two-way assets believed to be on the Lakers’ radar heading into the offseason. However, if Los Angeles doesn’t feel the need to pursue contributors who would fit their mold well aggressively, Lakers fans might be forced to watch a flawed version of the 17-time NBA champions again in 2026-27.
Nothing is finalized, though, meaning it isn’t time to panic just yet.
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