Several hours into the official start of NBA free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers, at least so far, look like losers. They lost forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets, and at the same time, they have watched as one free agent center after another has gotten snatched by other teams.
They did get 23-year-old forward Jake LaRavia, who is an underwhelming but possibly intriguing player, to agree to sign with them. There is still the possibility that center Deandre Ayton, who agreed to a buyout of his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, will come. However, Lakers fans, by and large, are feeling pessimistic right now.
If the Lakers do indeed end up having a weak free agency period, one reason could be that they’re looking down the road. Dan Woike of The Athletic wrote that the team is looking to maintain flexibility in order to obtain a second superstar to pair with Luka Doncic.
“As free agency begins, the Lakers are motivated not to sacrifice long-term flexibility as they begin to arm themselves for a potential run at another superstar to pair with Dončić as soon as next summer,” wrote Woike.
The thinking seems to be that there could be a superstar available in free agency in the summer of 2026 or 2027. Someone such as Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic could be had if they don’t sign contract extensions with their current teams beforehand.
Los Angeles is set to have a boatload of salary cap space next summer, especially since LeBron James picked up his player option for the 2025-26 season. It is starting to look like the James era is truly winding down for the franchise, as it shifts its focus in earnest to building a winning team around Doncic.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Woike: Lakers want flexibility to pursue second superstar soon
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
