The Los Angeles Lakers are flirting with the idea of being a championship contender in 2025-26. One more trade could firmly catapult them into that territory.
Rob Pelinka has managed to quietly maneuver and patch up the Lakers' lackluster depth from last season. The Lakers front office executive managed to secure DeAndre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, and Adou Thiero, without giving up any significant trade chips in the 2025 offseason.
Despite the fine-tuning, two needs in the rotation still stand out as areas which could benefit from an upgrade. The Lakers could use a better backup center than Jaxson Hayes.