The Lakers, as currently constructed, are a poor defensive team that struggles against younger, more athletic teams. Although Luka Doncic is having a career year and LeBron James and Austin Reaves are turning in All-Star-caliber seasons, Los Angeles is still a step behind the other contending teams around the NBA.

The lack of activity at the trade deadline supports the reporting that the Lakers will look to make their splash in the summer when they’re armed with more tradable draft capital and cap space.

In terms of free agency, there are several 3-and-D wings that could be had and a few of them were named as potential targets, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

An unrestricted free agent who has been discussed internally, sources told ESPN, is Andrew Wiggins, but he has a player option with Miami he could exercise. Tobias Harris, Quentin Grimes and Dean Wade are other players who fit that profile.

The Lakers have also privately discussed restricted free agents Tari Eason and Peyton Watson, sources told ESPN, and could land the latter if Denver, which already has $215 million in salary committed to returning players for next season, doesn’t match the offer sheet.

Some of these are names we’ve seen before. Andrew Wiggins was arguably the most popular name linked to the Lakers this past offseason, and he remains an intriguing option. A perimeter defender who can knock down an open 3-pointer and comes with championship experience would be a valuable addition to Los Angeles.

It’s not a foregone conclusion that Wiggins will even be a free agent this summer, however as he has a $30.2 million player option in 2026-27 that he could very well pick up.

The Lakers may also want to target the younger players available in order to match up better with Doncic’s timeline. With that in mind, Tari Eason and Peyton Watson would be excellent targets because of their skillsets and upside. Watson, in particular, seems attainable given his expected price tag and Southern Californian roots.

Attracting a star player to come to L.A. has always been the playbook for the front office, but with Doncic already locked down they need to surround him with complementary pieces. The modern NBA is built around speed, length and athleticism so the purple and gold should be as aggressive as possible for players with those attributes come the summer.

Lakers believe they would be on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s shortlist of trade destinations

With more first round picks to trade, Los Angeles can make a run at nearly any player in the league. The big prize of the summer is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who appears ready to be moved and the Lakers believe they would be on his shortlist of trade destinations should he actually ask out.

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Outside of those two, LeBron James is starting to figure out how he fits in with each game under his belt. Then, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton provide secondary scoring punches when opposing defenses focus on the Big 3.

However, a noticeable flaw is the lack of defensive-minded personnel. That is a key need when the trade deadline rolls around, as adding one or two 3-and-D players could go a long way to create a bit more balance.

With uncertainty surrounding Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Wisconsin, the Lakers are not necessarily expected to make a splashy move. But, they are going to try and find a middle of ground in terms of meaningful upgrades to the roster, as reported on The Zach Lowe Show:

“I think the Lakers are, like there’s been this dichotomy of either the Lakers stand pat or they try to make some crazy Giannis trade that involves Reaves and all their picks. I think there’s a middle ground where the Lakers, there’s some buzz about could they sort of make a fringey trade to try to upgrade this roster. I think as this new ownership comes in, I think they’re trying to maximize this team.”

Two trade targets that come to mind are Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, who was connected to the Lakers during the offseason and New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones. Both could tremendously help L.A.’s perimeter defense, but their availability remains a question mark.

The Lakers do have expiring contracts in Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and a young player in Dalton Knecht along with first round draft capital and swaps.

It remains to be seen whether Wiggins or Jones will be available, but that caliber of player is what general manager Rob Pelinka needs to look for.

Lakers’ future draft picks viewed as less valuable after Luka Doncic trade

Last season, the Lakers were viewed to be in a bad spot with LeBron James’ looming retirement and Anthony Davis entering his mid-30s. So, opposing teams were trying to get their remaining draft capital in trade discussions.

However, the Luka Doncic trade changed every narrative as L.A. suddenly had a future with a generational star. Front offices have taken notice of this, thinking the Lakers’ draft picks are less valuable in trade talks.

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As is always the case in this franchise, expectations will be high. The Lakers are coming off a 50-win season and addressed their needs this offseason by bringing in Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia. With Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves leading the way, the Lakers will have a chance to do some damage this season despite the Western Conference being as loaded as ever.

While the Lakers’ roster is likely set for the start of the season, they have between now and the February trade deadline to continue making upgrades. One area they would still love to address is their wing defense, and according to NBA insider Marc Stein, they will continue that pursuit:

The Lakers are in win-now mode.

They signed Luka Dončić to a three-year max contract extension worth $165 million on the first day such a deal was permissible (Aug. 2). They have LeBron James under contract for one more season. And they will be on the lookout, I’m told, for the proverbial right deal to present itself to upgrade on the wing if possible and add to a list of newcomers headlined by Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia.

As I understand it: The Lakers’ reluctance in the early stages of the offseason to consider trades for contracts that stretch beyond the 2025-26 season has thawed somewhat.

I don’t think that means they’ll swing a deal for just anyone between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but league sources say L.A. would indeed have interest in adding a two-way swingman who can raise their ceiling.

One player the Lakers have been linked to this offseason is Andrew Wiggins of the Miami Heat, and Stein believes they are still interested:

The sort of player who is likely to interest the Lakers?

My read (if Miami were to make him available): Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins, 30, will earn $28.2 million this season and holds a $30.2 million player option for 2026-27. I wouldn’t have classified him as a potential purple-and-gold target before Dončić’s long-term future was secured, but things are different now. So my sense is that the Lakers would have interest if the Heat, in coming weeks or months, decide to prioritize financial flexibility and look to reduce payroll.

Wiggins would be a good fit for the Lakers, although the Heat have made it clear that they are not looking to deal him right now. Other reports have also indicated the Lakers are not interested in the 30-year-old.

These things can change at any time though and there’s no denying that Wiggins would make the Lakers better. With that being the case, it could be something to monitor going into the season if the Heat struggle and look to reset their roster.

Pau Gasol excited for Lakers season

One person who is excited for the upcoming Lakers season is franchise legend Pau Gasol, especially with Luka Doncic now on the team.

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Sometimes, when a team is silent on a specific front, it means nothing more than just that. But sometimes, it could mean that the team is working on a move, and needs it to be completed before doing other things. Some felt that was the case when rumors began circulating about the Lakers’ possible interest in Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins.

It’s unclear how serious talks ever got between Miami and L.A. However, it didn’t take long before the Heat were reported to be holding on to Wiggins until the start of the season and that the Lakers’ interest may have been overstated to begin with, according Dan Woike of The Athletic on the Zach Lowe Show:

“They’re not interested in Andrew Wiggins. I think I can put that to bed.”

Putting these rumors to bed is certainly good for someone like Rui Hachimura, who was the name most-often discussed when it came to that deal. Having trade rumors looming over a player during the season almost never helps that player perform better.

But it also shows that maybe the Lakers’ silence over the last week or so is really just silence, and that nothing bigger is in the works. Wiggins, specifically, would have been an interesting addition. When swapped with Hachimura, he brings better perimeter defense, but arguably less consistent shooting and is several years older.

The Lakers might be waiting for a better deal to come along, or they are comfortable with what they have and going into the season with the roster as it is.

Four teams reached out to Rich Paul about trading for Lakers’ LeBron James

Despite a rocky start to the offseason for Lakers superstar LeBron James and agent Rich Paul, the message coming out from them has remained relatively consistent. LeBron has been clear that — while he was not requesting a trade — he was closely monitoring L.A.’s moves.

Of course, that type of statement was bound to set off a frenzy. And what ensued was immediate fake trade proposals and rumors tying him to places like the Cleveland Cavaliers for obvious reasons, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks and more. But all of this remained speculation, as LeBron still had not requested a trade.

That consistency in message continued at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, as recent reports reiterated what was already known about James’ status with the Lakers. But an interesting detail about Paul’s communication with other teams recently came out as four teams reportedly expressed interest in trading for the 40-year-old.

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Notably, Wiggins was traded at the deadline this past season in the blockbuster deal that involved Jimmy Butler going to Golden State. Given how Miami is in limbo as they moved on from Butler, a rebuild or retooling was certainly on the table.

However, with Pat Riley as their president, he wants to compete at all costs and not go through a down period. That means that Wiggins will begin next season in South Florida, via Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald:

The expectation is the Heat will move forward with Andrew Wiggins on its roster for the start of next season. The Heat wants to see what this mix will look like. https://t.co/FgfEv2CmXm

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) July 12, 2025

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Eastern Conference is up for grabs next year and teams are trying to go all in for a potential NBA Finals appearance. Miami has made improbable postseason runs in recent years, making it to the Finals twice in 2020 and 2023, but could not cash in on a title.

Another indication that Riley wanted to keep a competitive roster for next season was by trading for Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell. So, Wiggins slots into a starting lineup of Tyler Herro, Powell, Kel’el Ware and Bam Adebayo.

Frankly, that is not a bad starting lineup, but will presumably not be seen as an Eastern Conference elite. L.A. may continue to monitor Wiggins’ situation throughout next year, but perhaps Riley would like to keep him to create a new title window.

Now, general manager Rob Pelinka is out on a potential wing target and he may not decide to force the issue on finding someone else on the trade market for the time being.

Heat were asking for Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht & first-round pick for Andrew Wiggins

With Luka Doncic as the Lakers’ next face of the franchise, Rob Pelinka needs to build a roster that better suits his skillset. On paper, Andrew Wiggins was a perfect fit to provide that perimeter defense and ability to play on or off the ball.

But, Miami had a steep asking price as they wanted Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht and a first-round pick were what they were looking for in exchange for the 30-year-old forward.

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