Rob Pelinka has set the Los Angeles Lakers up for plenty of cap space in the summer of 2026, and that should give them ample opportunity to reshape the roster around Luka Doncic. One key maneuver in that strategy could be poaching a valuable restricted free agent.
With the extension deadline for most major names rapidly approaching, today at 3 p.m. PT, the traction on a handful of key players who could become restricted free agents has just not been there. That should be great news for the Lakers.
Given the time-sensitive nature of this conversation, there can still be plenty of change before the clock officially runs out on teams around the league.