![\"Luka](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-2266240122-e1790102574308.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers <\/p>\n
When the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> entered the NBA<\/a>\u2018s free-agency period in late June and early July, it looked like they had any number of possibilities ahead of them. There was a chance, even, that they could keep LeBron James around for another year or so, and build off a core of James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, a group that played well together when healthy. But they moved on from James in the early going of the summer and instead put together an eye-opening series of signings in one afternoon. <\/p>\n All at once, it seemed, the Lakers used up their considerable cap space to bring in Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton, completely remaking a roster that had reached the second round of the postseason even without Doncic. There was enthusiasm\u2013four new shiny toys for what was now just the Doncic-Reaves core. <\/p>\n Lakers Had July Spending Spree<\/p>\n That enthusiasm still reigns for those Lakers fans wearing purple-and-gold colored glasses. A harder look reveals that this team seriously sacrificed depth to make four-year commitments not just to Kessler\u2013who is worth it\u2013but to Grimes and Mamukelashvili, who are role players and should not require hefty long-term deals. <\/p>\n Not only that, but this was essentially the Lakers\u2019 one shot. That is because the team coughed up pretty much all of its remaining draft assets to send to Utah for Kessler. Again, Kessler is probably the best fit next to Doncic and Reaves but if the Lakers were going to leave themselves such a thin margin for error, they should not have squandered their best resources on two bench players (Mamu and Sexton) and Grimes.<\/p>\n \t\t\tLatest @BleacherReport<\/a> Ranking 5 NBA Teams With the Worst Salary-Cap Situations \u2013 limited flexibility while not quite top-tier competitive = a tough spot: <\/p>\n No Money, Limited Draft Assets<\/p>\n That\u2019s a point that was hammered home this week by Bleacher Report\u2019s Eric Pincus, a cap guru who listed the Lakers among his group of, \u201c5 NBA Teams With the Worst Salary-Cap Situations.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lakers will have small chunks of free-agent money in the future, but that\u2019s about the only opportunity they will have to add to their rosters. <\/p>\n Writes Pincus:<\/a> \u201cOn paper, the Lakers\u2019 current ceiling is third in the Western Conference behind the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> and Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>. That\u2019s best-case, given the gauntlet of talent L.A. will need to fight through to win at the highest level. For the foreseeable future, the Lakers are spent.<\/p>\n \u201cThe team has just one first-round swap available to offer .. (and) only three second-round selections available\u2014two from the Washington Wizards<\/a>, both starting in 2031\u2014which may help smaller deals get done, but may not help land a needle-mover. Improvements will need to come via small free-agent signings or trades where the Lakers\u2019 outgoing talent or willingness to take on other unwanted salaries will drive deals more than the squad\u2019s meager draft capital.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tSean Deveney<\/a> is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \t