The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the best moves in the 2025 NBA draft, jumping up almost 20 spots. Los Angeles selected forward Adou Thiero out of Arkansas, a move that many saw as one of the steals of the draft.
But with free agency opening in a few days, the Lakers have a lot of other holes that they need to fill on the roster. The main one is at the center position, and Los Angeles is expected to be very active on the open market.
However, due to limited resources, the Lakers' front office will need to get creative. But general manager Rob Pelinka's comments about the upcoming offseason should get fans excited.
Pelinka spoke on Spectrum SportsNet, giving fans a glimpse into the plan.
“Super active. We’re gonna turn over every stone and whatever resources the collective bargaining agreement gives us, we’re gonna use to the utmost. That’s what we gotta do. We have a couple players with player options, so we’ll get those decisions in just a handful of days and at that point we’ll know the tools that we have to go out into free agency and fill out the roster. But with the draft ending tonight, the work for that has already begun, but the draft focus will now shift to free agency and we won’t rest until we get it right," Pelinka said.
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
This should be music to any fan's ears, as the team seems to be looking to go all-in this summer. With star Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the roster, Los Angeles should be doing everything to win this upcoming year.
The Lakers aren't too far off from true contention, but it will be up to Pelinka to make things happen. Los Angeles seems to have a plan, and whether they are able to execute that plan will be seen over the next few weeks.