The Los Angeles Lakers are navigating a season full of highs and lows - and that’s not exactly a surprise considering the injury bug has hit them more than once. But when you’ve got a roster headlined by Luka Dončić and LeBron James, expectations don’t just go away. And neither do championship aspirations.
For LeBron, the mission remains unchanged: he wants to contend. Not next year.
Not in some vague future. Right now.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” said Rich Paul, speaking to ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future.
He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all.” Paul also emphasized the strong relationship the four-time champion has built with Lakers ownership and front office, calling the eight-year partnership with Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka “a critical part of his career.”
That’s the balancing act the Lakers are trying to pull off - honoring LeBron’s win-now window while also building around the 26-year-old Dončić, who represents the franchise’s future. But don’t mistake youth for patience. Dončić isn’t here to wait around.
Back in May, he made it clear to Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick: he wants to win now. He’s not interested in a slow build or a multi-year project. That urgency from both stars puts the Lakers in a unique spot - one where standing pat at the trade deadline might not be an option.
That brings us to Draymond Green.
Yes, the LeBron-Draymond friendship has been talked about before, but this time, the noise is a little different. It’s not just about speculation or buddy connections. There’s a belief that the Warriors might be open to moving Green - not because they’re giving up on him, but because they’re eyeing a bigger prize: a potential run at Giannis Antetokounmpo.
If that’s the case, and Golden State is truly willing to part ways with one of the defining defensive players of this generation, the Lakers could find themselves in a position to pounce. And if they do, it wouldn’t just be about adding a name - it would be about adding an identity.
Green brings more than just elite defense. He brings intensity.
Grit. Leadership.
He’s the kind of player who changes the tone of a locker room and elevates the accountability of everyone around him. Pairing that with Dončić’s offensive brilliance and LeBron’s all-around game could instantly reshape the Lakers’ title hopes.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed. The trade deadline is always full of smoke, and deals like this are complex. But if the Warriors are truly willing to shake things up, the Lakers have every reason to make a call.
Because when you’ve got LeBron James chasing another ring and Luka Dončić entering his prime, the time is now.