For Los Angeles Lakers fans hoping that the team makes a meaningful trade to improve the roster for the second half, you may want to get used to this current group.
Following a full offseason and training camp with Luka Doncic, the LA Lakers had big expectations for the 2025-26 campaign. And it was understandable why. They still had LeBron James playing at a very high level for his age, they had solid pieces like Austin Reaves, and JJ Redick was impressive in his first season as an NBA head coach.
After the first few weeks of the season, it looked like the LA Lakers would be contenders. Doncic was playing like an MVP, and Reaves took his game to an All-Star level. However, after James returned from injury, the warts on this current roster started to show. They are not as good offensively as they should be, and their defense has led to viral videos for all the wrong reasons.
It’s why the team has been linked to trade rumors over the last month. LA Lakers fans would love a bold move that gets them another All-Star. However, recent reports suggested that if they do make a deal, it would not be a blockbuster. According to Christian Clark and Dan Woike of The Athletic, that remains the case, and any meaningful changes will wait until the summer.
LA Lakers punting on worthwhile moves until the summer?
“Lakers sources have referenced the time it took for Dallas to build out its most optimized rosters around Doncic, noting that the Lakers need more athleticism, shooting, and defense to replicate what was left behind in Dallas,” they wrote.
“No potential move the Lakers make at the deadline will check more than one of those boxes, and some around the team believe the real work will happen in the summer, when the Lakers could have as many as three first-round picks to use in trades to improve the roster.”
While it is probably the right move, it is sure to disappoint LA Lakers fans hoping for a deep run in the playoffs this spring withtrade improvements. The team they have right now is the one they will have for the rest of the season, so they will need to look in the mirror for any worthwhile changes in the second half.
