The Los Angeles Lakers, as currently constructed, are not good enough to win an NBA championship. Luckily for them, there is still plenty of time between now and the NBA trade deadline to add to the foundation and erect a true contender around Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
For Rob Pelinka to move the necessary pieces around and finalize a team that looks the part of a true contender before the trade deadline, the Lakers will need to provide their general manager with the needed motivation. That can happen within the first 20 games of the 2025-26 NBA season.