Everyone is in agreement the Los Angeles Lakers need to upgrade the defense before the NBA’s trade deadline. If and when they do, though, they must be careful not to perpetuate the issue that’s left them so vulnerable in the first place: an overabundance of one-way players.
Take a moment to think about the Lakers’ current rotation. Who is the player they can most count on to make positive contributions at both ends of the floor? Jake LaRavia? Deandre Ayton? It certainly isn’t Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, or LeBron James. If your answer is Marcus Smart, approaching the year 2026, that’s a problem.