Farewell to the King

James chose to inform the Lakers well before the start of free agency out of courtesy and appreciation for their run together, and to allow LA to conduct its offseason business.

“I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give,” James said of his decision.

James has played against ~37% of all players in NBA history. He’s outlasted every player from the 2003-06 draft classes. He’s spent more than half his life as an All-NBA player. He’s also older than 6 active head coaches and has played against 5 active head coaches.

James finishes his tenure with the Lakers starting 478 out of 479 contests, averaging 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.2 steals on 51.3% shooting overall and 35.6% shooting from 3.

“This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. I still want to sacrifice. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win, and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship,” James said.

No player in NBA history has won a ring with four different teams. James is trying to become the first with this last chapter in Philadelphia. If winning a championship is his top priority, this made the most sense out of the teams he was looking at.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James added.

James‘ decision affected the Sixers‘ market to win the East. Before he joined, Philadelphia had a 15% chance (3rd in the East); after the decision, their odds rose to 24% (1st). Also, their odds to win the Finals doubled from 6% (4th in the NBA) to 12% (3rd).

Philadelphia’s potential starting lineup, however, has a problem. Their projected starting lineup has usage rate concerns (Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, James, and Joel Embiid). Usage rates from last year among the starting five add up to 142%: James (27%), Maxey (29%), Edgecombe (19%), Brown (35%), Embiid (32%).

It will be interesting to see how all of those mouths are fed. Philadelphia does, however, expect James to play “a good amount of time” at point guard.

What else has Laker nation lost?

Marcus Smart declined his $5.4 million player option to sign a two-year, $13 million deal with the Houston Rockets, plus a player option for the second season. The former Defensive Player of the Year reunites with his former head coach, Ime Udoka.

Smart started 54 of 62 games for Los Angeles last season, averaging 28.5 minutes per contest. He averaged 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

Luke Kennard agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Phoenix Suns, also containing a player option for the second season. Kennard was a trade deadline acquisition just last season, so it’s mind-boggling that the Lakers let him walk. 

Kennard started just 6 of 32 games for the Lakers during the regular season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 44.8% 3-point shooting.

Despite Deandre Ayton opting into his $8.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season, Los Angeles traded Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two Wizards second-round picks in 2031 and 2032.

Ayton spent just one season as a Laker, starting 72 of 72 games played; he averaged 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game on 67.1% shooting from the field and 64.5% shooting from the free-throw line.

The Lakers got some much-needed draft equity. Meanwhile, the Wizards land a durable, reliable center to join Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr in their frontcourt.

Losing Rui Hachimura was another tough blow for Los Angeles. He signed a 2-year, $28 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Hachimura was also a midseason trade deadline acquisition all the way back in 2023.

Hachimura makes his exit after spending the last four seasons in the purple and gold. Starting 146 games out of 228 played, he averaged 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 51.6% shooting overall, and 41.5% from the 3-point range.

How did LA bounce back from losing their core pieces?

After losing James, the Lakers needed to focus on one man, Austin Reaves, who signed a four-year, $185 million maximum contract to return to the Lakers, with a player option for the final season in 2029-30. Reaves declined his $14.9M player option for the new max deal.

The final terms were four years, $180 million, with a player option in 2029–30. Reaves agreed to a lower amount than the previously reported $185 million to help give Los Angeles more future flexibility. What Reaves essentially did was take half of the raise he could have gotten (4% instead of 8%) between year 1 and year 2 of his contract.

Enter the NBA draft

The New York Knicks traded their No. 24 draft pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for No. 25 and cash considerations. That No. 24 pick became Cameron Carr. A projected top-20 pick that slipped. He’s a 6’5 guard with a 7’1 wingspan. Carr also had the second-highest vertical among guards (42.5 inches).

In 34 collegiate games as a junior with Baylor, Carr averaged 18.9 points on 49.4% shooting from the field, 37.4% from 3-point range, and 80.1% from the free-throw line.

He’s drawn comparisons to Devin Vassell or Mikal Bridges. Given how the board played out, he could turn out to be a home-run pick.

Carr knows he’ll get onto the floor quickly if he can defend at a high level. He wants to prove he’s the best defender on the team. He also said he thinks that he can complement LA’s stars well with his cutting, finishing, and ability to run the floor in transition. “I think I was overlooked, so I got a lot to prove,” Carr told reporters.

The Lakers weren’t done with the draft yet, picking up undrafted Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke to a two-way NBA deal.

LA’s shiny new toys

The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030. Kessler signed a massive four-year, $130 million deal with Los Angeles.

The Lakers’ front office deserves credit for emptying the clip and going all-in for Kessler. The price was high, but they’ve been criticized for years for refusing to trade picks and meet some of the asking prices for young starters. It’s only right to commend them when they actually do it. They went three transactional cycles with Luka Doncic without adding a high-level young starter.

Collin Sexton was next, signing to a two-year, $19 million deal with the Lakers.

During their last season together in Utah, Sexton generated more assists by passing to Kessler than any other Jazz player. Sexton might be a defensive concern, but he absolutely lives in the paint and has a built-in connection with LA’s biggest summer acquisition. 

However, the Lakers may have been better served spending the same amount retaining Smart or signing Kelly Oubre Jr. over Sexton. Both are better defenders than Sexton, and could switch between point-of-attack and wing stopper roles at a higher level. Sexton is the better offensive player, but the Lakers’ obvious weakness with a Luka/AR/Kessler core is perimeter defense. 

We can understand the appeal of a scoring guard; the archetype is just easier to find than a wing/POA stopper. You can find the former on minimum deals every summer. You can’t get the latter. Most of the minimum-level defenders aren’t playoff-level guys. 

Sexton’s reputation as a defender is far beyond his actual defense. Even in the best-case scenario, he’s a 6-2 guard with switching limitations. This roster would feel much better with Smart or Oubre in Sexton’s place.

Los Angeles then signed Sandro Mamukelashvili to a four-year, $52 million deal with a player option for the fourth season.

Mamu’s game and skill set are exceptional, but he’s not a starter on a contender, especially defensively. The Lakers are set up to have him or Doncic defend wings that play at the 4. Not ideal. If the Lakers move him into a third big role, the fit is better, and we can see the vision. He can shoot, pass, drive, and rebound. He’s going to unlock a ton for them offensively in two-big looks or as the single big. 

However, he is the one who has the most questions contract-wise. That deal should have been 4 years at $40M with no player option.

Quentin Grimes agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal to join the Lakers, with a player option. 

Grimes is expected to be the No. 4 option on a title contender and a secondary defensive stopper on a title contender. Offensively, he’s an amazing fit; the Lakers haven’t had a role player with that skill set in years. Defensively, he’ll need to channel his best stretches of defense far more consistently.

Kevon Looney agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Lakers. Reportedly, Looney chose the Lakers over other teams interested in signing him on a minimum deal due to the immediate opportunity to contribute off the bench behind Kessler and be a veteran leader for a younger team led by Doncic.

Los Angeles acquires one of the top backup centers in the league, and Looney, a three-time NBA champion, provides experience and pick-and-roll play for Doncic and Reaves after all of those years running screens for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant in the Bay Area.

Ziaire Williams agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal to sign with the Lakers.

The Lakers had all 15 roster spots filled with Williams’ addition. But then they signed Matisse Thybulle to a one-year, $3.3 million contract.

A two-time All-Defense team member, Thybulle shot 41.8% from 3 over the last two years across 45 games. He also led the NBA in steals and deflections per 36 minutes last season among players to play at least 20 games.

The Lakers now have 16 guaranteed contracts, one more than the league maximum of 15. You can carry up to 20 during the offseason. That means they’ll have to waive/stretch or trade at least one player on the current roster ahead of opening night.

Barring any more trades, the Lakers will most likely cut one of the following players before the season starts: Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, or Jarred Vanderbilt.

The Lakers also went ahead and signed Arthur Kaluma to a two-way NBA deal. Kaluma, who spent 2025-26 in the Lakers G League program, averaged nearly 19 points, 61% shooting, and 50% on 3s in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Lakers‘ roster at this moment consists of: guards: Doncic, Sexton, Bronny, Reaves, Carr, Hardy, Chris Manon, and Grimes. Forwards: Thybulle, Thiero, Knecht, Mamukelashvili, LaRavia, Vanderbilt, Williams, Kaluma, and Okereke. Centers: Kessler and Looney.

The starters complement each other well offensively. Defensively, they don’t have elite defenders outside of Kessler and Thybulle, so there will be a ton of responsibility on them as anchors and head coach JJ Redick’s schemes. 

Their bench is shallow. LA needs guys like Thiero and Carr to step up. That’s a big ask for a second- or first-year player on a team that wants to contend for a championship.

Let’s take a look; was it all worth it?

Los Angeles solved their most glaring need by signing Thybulle, which was that they didn’t have a wing stopper for the game’s best wings in the 6’6 to 6’9 range. He’s also a defensive point-of-attack defender upgrade over Grimes and Sexton.

These grabs for the Lakers are all pointing to a shift towards drop coverage on defense. If that doesn’t happen, it could get ugly on defense. LA has a couple good screen navigators and a good drop big so pick-and-roll defense can be good, but outside of Thybulle, one-on-one defense is going to lean heavily on Kessler needing to save the day in the backline.

The players Los Angeles targeted are solid individually in a vacuum. The value of any of the deals is questionable. Kessler’s contract is about right but giving up that much draft capital hurts.

It feels like LA paid a ceiling-level price on all 3 of Mamu, Grimes, and Sexton and then added player options on top. The Lakers did, however, get younger; their backcourt offense and center rotation are real strengths.

For those hoping to see the young guys play more, Redick has basically no choice but to feed minutes immediately to Thiero and Carr as well, both in terms of positional need and due to a lack of athleticism, including lateral quickness on defense. 

The primary goal should’ve been to land a long-term piece next to Doncic and Reaves. There was no scenario in which the Lakers built a team as good as the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in one offseason (especially after losing James). 

They landed that foundational player in Kessler, a perfect fit. He’s a franchise cornerstone who can be top 5 in FG%, rebounds, and blocks next season. A potential monster on both ends. Poaching him in restricted free agency, from that perspective, the offseason is a success. 

The Kessler trade gets an A- (preferred to have kept one pick and/or one swap out of it, trade price was high). Add in Looney and Mamu, and the Lakers have one of the strongest big man cores in the league.

LA arguably overpaid each player by roughly $1-$2 million, based on the market and similar signings. Not the worst thing in the world, but what’s not to understand is why those contracts also came with player options. It feels like they paid max market value on each player. Perhaps that had to do with waiting on Kessler’s sign-and-trade.

The Lakers didn’t properly address wing defense for the sixth consecutive offseason (post 2020-21 season). It’s been a real blind spot for them post-Kentavious Caldwell-Pope/Alex Caruso. Grimes and Sexton are not good enough to be the primary POAs/wing stoppers on a title team.

Los Angeles arguably has the worst collection of 1-4 defensive talent among these teams by a decent margin (New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers).

Kessler can be in the conversation for best rim-protector in the league. He’ll put out some of these fires, and is a massive upgrade over Ayton/Hayes. LA was the second-worst rim-protecting team in the NBA last season. The Lakers have built a rotation that is basically, “Let Kessler save us.”

There are, however, three wild cards in all of this. Thiero, Carr, and LaRavia. Thiero and Carr have the athleticism and defensive upside LA desperately needs. That’s a big ask for a second- and/or first-year player, respectively, but that’s the challenge ahead. LaRavia’s shot and offensive confidence declined over the second half of last season, but if he can return to shooting in the high 30s, he can be a solid bench stopgap.

For those mentioning Vanderbilt, Redick has never used Vando as anything more than a 9th man when the team has been healthy over the past two seasons. They have clearly not worked out. Redick values shooting above almost all else.

Perhaps LA gets injured enough for Vando to factor in more, but LaRavia will be ahead of him (again), and Thiero and Carr may even be given opportunities ahead of him as well. This is all before factoring in the possibility that LA might trade him at some point.

Overall, LA went all-in for Kessler. They added their center of the future and a third foundational piece. They also added high-level bench players, albeit on contracts that are far more player-friendly than team-friendly. 

It was a successful offseason post-James, but they need to start prioritizing perimeter defense more and look beyond players whose primary strength is having an offensive bag.

As for comparing this group to last season, this group has a higher floor than last season’s but a lower ceiling.

We haven’t mentioned him a lot in this piece, but we know who he is and who he will be going into the next season. Doncic was named to the All-NBA First Team for the 6th time last year. 

Only 4 other players in NBA history have done so by age 27: Tim Duncan (7); James (6); Oscar Robertson (6); and Bob Pettit (6). Dončić also led the NBA in scoring (33.5 ppg), ranked 3rd in assists (8.3) and 6th in steals (1.6).

We’ve already seen what our prospects can do.

The only loss the Lakers had in the California Classic (2-1) came against the Warriors, and then LA went undefeated in the Summer League (4-0).

Since Vegas went to all 30 teams in 2018, only 11 teams have gone 4-0. 10 of 11 had an All-Summer League selection. The lone exception was the 2024 Warriors. Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis only played two games.

The Lakers went 4-0 with Carr, Thiero, Kaluma, and Chris Manon all playing four. Zero selections. No Lakers player made the Summer League First Team nor the Second Team.

Extra Lakers’ news

Los Angeles promoted South Bay Lakers coach Zach Guthrie to a Lakers assistant coach and head of player development on Redick’s staff. Guthrie guided South Bay to the G League’s best record last season.

The Lakers have a new jersey patch sponsor, the team announced. Albert, a personal financial assistant app, will replace Bibigo starting in the 2026-27 season. A league source familiar with the sponsorship told ESPN the deal will bring LA an annual value north of $30 million.

Jeanie Buss on Lakers’ new jersey patch partner Albert, “We couldn’t be more proud to place Albert on the Lakers jersey and give our amazing fans visibility to their personal finance products.”

Doncic hosted the entire Lakers roster in Slovenia for a four-day minicamp in August. The itinerary included workouts, golf, tourism, and bonding ahead of training camp.

The Lakers remain one of the most-followed teams among Las Vegas sports fans, making every game relevant to the valley. Thank you for visiting FranchiseSportsMedia.com for your Los Angeles Lakers news.

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