The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot to do in the offseason, especially after their unfortunate 2025 playoff exit. All eyes are on LeBron James, who, at 40, has proven he can still play competitive ball.
For L.A., filling up gaps is a necessity. The addition of Luka Doncic was huge, but their postseason performance showed why the Lakers need to reassess and improve their current roster.
Lazenby had a point. Even with the stellar play of James and Doncic, the rest of the Lakers hardly provided a lift. He feels that the center position is one huge hole that needs to be plugged.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka concurred with this, admitting the loss of Anthony Davis was huge. With more options and time in the offseason, Pelinka revealed that L.A.’s goal is to get bigger and stronger in preparation for next season.
“We knew when we traded Anthony Davis that would be a bigger hole. You can’t address it after the trade deadline, but now we get the opportunity to address it. We know, we got to get bigger and stronger,” the Lakers general manager stated.
With that said, James’ plans will likely hinge on that. For now, the four-time champion admits that his future remains fuzzy.
“I got a lot to think about myself. I don’t know what the roster will look like. I don’t know where I stand right now,” the four-time Most Valuable Player admitted to NBC Sports.
Should the Lakers fail to assemble a formidable roster for the 2025-26 season, James could decide to jump ship or retire altogether. And if that happens, the big losers would be the Purple & Gold.
“He may move on and try it somewhere else. I think it would be a blow to the Lakers not to have him back. A huge blow. A blow to LeBron, a blow to Luka, a blow to all the guys on that team,” Lazenby explained.
Hence, it will be a pretty interesting summer for LeBron and the Lakers. For now, they are trying to get over a frustrating end to their 2024-25 season with everyone hurting.
However, once they return to their senses, the hunt for a reliable big man is expected to begin. Some of the names up in the air include guys like Jaren Jackson Jr., DeAndre Ayton, and Nicolas Claxton.
These are big men who could arguably help. However, the next problem is the money that any of these players will ask for. Will they adjust their fees to suit up for the Lakers? It’s not something you see every day in the NBA.
Finding a center to fill that gaping hole is one thing, but coming to terms is another. It is a huge first step that needs to be taken before L.A. shifts its focus to convincing Bron to play on for the Purple & Gold. That is, if LBJ decides he still has gas left in the tank to play in Year 23.
