The Los Angeles Lakers had a rather disappointing season last year, getting swept in the second round of the NBA playoffs. The team faced plenty of adversity, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both missing postseason time with injuries.
After another failed year, it was clear that Los Angeles needed a change, so they underwent a complete makeover this offseason. They attempted to address all of their question marks and might be in a better position now than when they had LeBron James.
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Key Losses
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a foul in game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
The Lakers were set to have seven key contributors hit the market this offseason, including first-ballot Hall of Famer LeBron James.
The Lakers allowed James to walk and search for a new roster to call home. That still left Los Angeles to decide which of their free agents they wanted to keep. Between Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes, they only kept one.
Los Angeles made it priority No. 1 to re-sign Austin Reaves to a four-year, $180 million contract. Instead of trying to negotiate with any of their other players, they opted to start fresh and look for new talent.
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Key Additions
The addition that headlines their offseason was a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz, where they acquired center Walker Kessler. Los Angeles has had issues at center for the past couple of years and finally addressed one of its biggest weaknesses on the roster.
Outside of Kessler, the Lakers added great backup guard talent. They added Colin Sexton, a fast and smart playmaker who’s one of the best defensive guards in the NBA. LA also brought in Quentin Grimes, who was an elite scorer for the 76ers last season. These two additions give LA some of the best depth at point guard in the NBA.
The Lakers had a tough task in finding a replacement for LeBron. Instead of searching for one player, they found a couple. They brought in Matisse Thybulle, a great defensive forward, Kevon Looney, who’s often associated with his elite rebounding skills, and, last but not least, Sandro Mamukelashvili, who averaged 11 points for the Toronto Raptors last season.
Not only did they dominate free agency, but they also got a player considered one of the biggest steals in the draft. They brought in lengthy forward Cameron Carr from Baylor. He’s an elite scorer and shot-blocker.
All in all, the Los Angeles Lakers had a phenomenal offseason, having a successful free agency period along with the draft. Don’t be surprised if the Lakers are far better this year compared to last.
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