The Los Angeles Lakers have had quite the offseason balancing the needs of Luka Dončić and LeBron James, but for the most part, it seems like they’ve succeeded. The Lakers are trying to have the best of both worlds — building around Dončić while also catering to James’ desire to win now.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Even though the Lakers want to build around Dončić, and that may take time, the superstar himself wants to win immediately.
“Dončić being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn’t mean they can slow down and take their time. Dončić told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he’s not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender,” CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish wrote.
A recent trade proposal could satisfy both James and Dončić.
Lakers get:
- Andrew Wiggins (from Heat)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (from Heat)
- Drew Timme (from Nets)
Heat get:
- Rui Hachimura (from Lakers)
- Dalton Knecht (from Lakers)
- $10 million trade exception (Wiggins)
Nets get:
- Maxi Kleber (from Lakers)
- 2026 protected Brooklyn second-rounder (from Heat)
- $4.6 million (from Nets)
- $2 million (from Lakers)
“Using Stein’s logic that the Lakers are willing to take on a longer salary, Wiggins only has one year left after this coming season. If he fits well, he could opt out and re-sign on a lower but longer annual deal. Or Los Angeles could use his expiring contract in a future deal. From a basketball perspective, the 30-year-old would step in as the team’s best perimeter defender. At 6’7″, he’d fill the role left by the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote.
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This haul would drastically change the Lakers’ outlook for the upcoming season. It adds another veteran with NBA Finals experience and two exciting young prospects who could develop into key contributors. This trade concept would be a major win for the Lakers — especially in keeping LeBron James happy.
