The Los Angeles Lakers have two of the top ten players in the world on their roster right now, and the front office is rumored to be saving cap space for the 2027 offseason. Luka Doncic has been first-team All-NBA five times in the last six years and led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024. LeBron James was sixth in MVP voting and second-team All-NBA last season. The 40-year-old is still elite, but can’t be forever. LA has a shot to win the championship right now and should be going all-in.
LeBron will be off the Lakers roster by 2027. Los Angeles is going to throw away two seasons of Luka’s prime to chase a mythical superstar two years from now. The main targets would be Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic. Both would be 32 years old and have played their entire NBA careers with one franchise. It is a dangerous bet to assume, they will suddenly be ready to depart for Los Angeles.
The Lakers are unquestionably building around Luka, but the focus should be on the right now. He has been to two conference finals and is in his prime. Doncic can lead a franchise to a title in 2026 if the right pieces are around him.
The Lakers keep making irrational decisions
LA let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency in a head-scratching move. They added Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia but it is not exactly the roster upgrades fans hoped for. The Lakers have a first-round draft pick, Dalton Knecht, and multiple pick swaps to trade. They could add another key piece to their rotation and improve their odds of winning it all, but the front office refuses to act.
Fans don’t understand it because the decision-making doesn’t make sense. Kevin O’Connor ranted about this topic on a recent podcast.
The Lakers are all about star-chasing, but they already made the catch. Luka Doncic and LeBron James are two All-NBA players right now. They are proven winners capable of raising a team’s playoff ceiling. Los Angeles has the top-end talent they need. They are just a few role players away from title contention, but the front office refuses to add those pieces.
The Lakers are at risk of losing Austin Reaves in the summer of 2026. He isn’t signing an extension because of his low maximum number. Reaves will be an unrestricted free agent in search of a massive payday in a market with multiple teams having cap flexibility. It is no guarantee he will stay with the Lakers, especially if their focus is cap space in 2027.
LA’s plan must be a complete retool around Luka. If they fail to land a second star, the Lakers may be at risk of angering their superstar and facing a rebuild. It is a dangerous position to choose. Punting two years of Doncic’s prime to hope to land the pieces to become a title contender in 2027. Luka should have little faith in that plan working from the jump because the Lakers can’t build a championship roster around him right now.
The Los Angeles Lakers have lost the plot. Fans are questioning their sanity as the baffling moves just keep adding up. The Lakers did not expect to be gifted Luka Doncic, but they have done everything wrong since that moment. Now, is the time to right the ship and start making win now moves. Give LeBron one final shot at a ring, and Doncic a chance to win his first. It is the only logical choice for the Lakers.