Marcus Smart is a leader, by every definition of the word. Him joining the Los Angeles Lakers, following his buyout from the Washington Wizards during the offseason, has given the franchise the intangibles needed to truly elevate themselves to a higher tier of teams in the NBA.
Rob Pelinka, for his part, absolutely nailed free agency in the summer of 2025. Letting Dorian Finney-Smith walk at the start of it was troublesome to many, but the way the Lakers president recovered afterwards was nothing short of a masterclass.
Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia have both been tremendous in their own right.