Anthony Edwards’ knee injury and Jalen Williams’ broken leg and dislocated ankle have shifted the Western Conference picture fast, and the Lakers suddenly look like a team that can press its advantage.
Los Angeles has opened the season 3-1, and the early returns suggest the front office’s plan to build around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is starting to click. It may still be early, but in a league where title windows can close in a hurry, the Lakers could decide the moment is now.
If they do decide to get more aggressive, there are a few trade paths worth exploring.
The first swing is the biggest one: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Miami Heat are off to a 0-4 start, one of four winless teams in the league along with the Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Sacramento Kings.
Miami’s new pairing of Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo has been uneven, especially on offense, where both players have bumped into each other’s preferred operating areas. The stretches where the Heat have looked best have come with either Antetokounmpo or Adebayo sharing the floor with Bobby Portis, who provides the spacing.
Still, Miami invested heavily to land Antetokounmpo, so a breakup this early does not feel likely. If things ever changed, though, the Lakers would at least have reason to make the call. Antetokounmpo would give them the interior force that can unlock even more room for Doncic on the perimeter.
The salary math would be tricky. Any deal would have to begin with Reaves, since Antetokounmpo is making around $58.5 million this season and Reaves is at $41.2 million for 2026-27.
Los Angeles would need more outgoing money, and Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden Hardy could be added to make the numbers work. The problem is the draft capital.
The Lakers do not control their first-round picks from 2027 to 2031, or in 2033, which leaves them short on the kind of offer Miami would want after giving up so much to bring Antetokounmpo in.
A more realistic star-level target might be Bam Adebayo. The Heat view him as a franchise legend and are not about to move him casually, but a package built around Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton would at least fit financially.
Even so, the lack of draft picks makes the idea close to impossible. Still, after the Doncic trade, Lakers exceptionalism is a real thing.
The Nuggets are another team that could be vulnerable. They have not looked sharp to start the 2026-27 season, getting blown out by the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder and needing to rally from 23 down against the New Orleans Pelicans for their first win. Their core is aging, their depth is thin, and they are living in second apron hell.
That opens the door for Aaron Gordon, one of the league’s best role players and a player who consistently matters in the postseason. Gordon is making $32 million this season, and Los Angeles could get there financially by sending Quentin Grimes, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jake LaRavia. The Nuggets could also ask for rookie guard Cameron Carr, since the Lakers do not have any first-round picks to include.
Gordon would give the Lakers a more proven answer at forward than the group they’ve started so far. Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle have both held up early, but Gordon offers more on offense and brings another dimension to the team. With Doncic and Reaves handling most of the creation, Gordon would not have to carry a heavy self-creation load.
The final option is at center, where the Lakers entered the season leaning on Kevon Looney as Walker Kessler’s backup. That setup has not looked ideal. Looney is limited laterally, does not protect the rim, and is not much of a scoring threat.
Day’Ron Sharpe would give Los Angeles a more athletic backup five who can rebound and block shots. If the Lakers are eventually staring down Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in a playoff run, they will need more size and depth at center. Sharpe is making $10 million this season, and a straight swap with Sexton works financially.
In Other News...
Lakers Have A Bigger Problem Than Luka Can Fix Alone
Luka Doncic delivered a 41-point night, but it still wasnt enough to carry the Lakers past Portland in a 136-129 loss that exposed how much more this team needs than one elite scorer. Los Angeles had plenty of offense and enough firepower to stay in the game, yet the bigger issue showed up on the other end, where Portland kept finding efficient looks and controlled the possession battle with its edge at the line.
The Trail Blazers didnt just ride hot shooting from deep, they also did damage inside, outscoring the Lakers from beyond the arc and in the paint. For a team built to compete now, that kind of defensive breakdown is the more troubling takeaway, because even a special performance from Doncic can only cover for so much if the Lakers keep giving away points in bunches. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Fans Will Notice Ziaire Williams Is Not Changing His Edge
Ziaire Williams picked up a $2,000 fine from the NBA for flopping in a game against the Utah Jazz, but the Lakers forward did not sound like someone ready to back off his style anytime soon. Williams said he disagreed with the leagues ruling, though he also made it clear he will pay the fine and keep playing with the same edge on defense.
Williams also said he plans to appeal in hopes of getting the money back, which leaves the episode feeling more like a brief detour than a change in approach. For the Lakers, the bigger takeaway is probably the one Williams himself emphasized: whatever the league thought of that call, his commitment to being disruptive on that end of the floor is not going anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Loss To Portland Turned On A Late Whistle Fans Will Debate
A late-season whistle can change the feel of a game in a hurry, and that was the case at Crypto.com Arena when officials handed out technical fouls for flopping in the fourth quarter. Ja Morant, Toumani Camara and Ziaire Williams were all hit with the same call in a tense finish, turning a close stretch into the kind of ending fans and players are likely to replay for a while.
Morant took issue with his own call afterward, saying he had simply raised his hands and absorbed contact, and he planned to try to get it overturned. Portland left with the win and moved to 3-0, while the Lakers dropped to 3-1, a result that will leave plenty of attention on the sequence rather than just the final score. [Read more 🡒]