The Lakers are heading into the 2026-27 season with a roster that looks a lot different, and ESPN’s Malika Andrews believes that shift could come with a real drop-off.
On NBA Today, Andrews grouped the Lakers and Celtics together when asked which team might outdo expectations. Her read on Los Angeles was pretty clear.
“I see both of these teams as having actually fairly similar paths,” Andrews said. “They’re both going to be fighting to be sort of in that top six, maybe in danger of falling out of that top six in the league.”
That’s a notable warning for a Lakers team that has been steady under JJ Redick. Since he took over in 2024, they have not finished lower than fourth in the Western Conference. Los Angeles went 50-32 and earned the third seed in 2024-25, then followed that with a 53-29 mark and the fourth seed in 2025-26.
But the group Redick guided those last two years is no longer intact, and LeBron James’ presence is gone from the equation. James is one of several major departures this offseason, with Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard also leaving.
What’s left is a much thinner core around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and the Lakers have filled in with Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Kevon Looney, Ziaire Williams, and Matisse Thybulle. It’s a very different mix, and one that leans heavily toward youth.
That part was intentional. Lakers insider Jovan Buha said people inside the organization recognized the team may have taken a step back this summer, but viewed it through the lens of the long game.
Los Angeles has clearly gotten younger, to the point that the 30-year-old Looney is the oldest player on the roster. He’s also the only player on the team in his 30s, and the only one who has won an NBA championship. That makes for a roster with a lot of upside, but not much proven closing experience.
Still, there’s reason for optimism on one side of the ball. With Doncic and Reaves driving the offense, the Lakers should be dangerous scoring the basketball next season.
The bigger question is defense. Kessler gives them a legitimate anchor, but he may be the only elite defender in the starting group. The team could also add Jonathan Kuminga as a starter, though that wouldn’t suddenly change their defensive profile.
There are real concerns there, but that’s hardly unique in the West. The San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder are the only teams Andrews described as truly great in the conference, and she expects those two to sit at the top again. After that, the rest of the playoff picture is wide open.
If the Lakers stay healthy, the expectation is that they land somewhere in the fourth- or fifth-seed range. Minnesota and Denver could be better, but that’s the short list.
So while the Lakers don’t look like a championship roster, they also don’t look like a play-in team. Andrews isn’t alone in wondering about their ceiling, though.
Former NBA player Olden Polynice was even tougher, calling them a play-in team and placing them 10th in the West. That would require a massive injury mess to become reality.
In Other News...
Klay Thompson Just Raised A Real Mavericks Question About His Future
Klay Thompsons future in Dallas has become one of those situations that can hang over a team long before any decision actually gets made. He is in the final year of his contract with the Mavericks, and while the club has explored trade possibilities, nothing has come together yet. That alone would make him a notable name to watch, but the chatter around him has only grown because of where he already sits in the broader NBA conversation.
Mychal Thompson, Klays father and a former Lakers player who now works as a broadcaster, has openly said he would welcome a move to Los Angeles for his son, and the Lakers have been linked to interest as well. Miami has reportedly been mentioned in the mix too, which only adds another layer to a situation that feels more open than settled. For the Mavericks, the real issue is not just whether Thompson stays or goes, but whether this becomes a decision they are forced to make before the season even reaches its critical stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Still Have A Real Shot At Filling A Frontcourt Need
The Lakers have been connected to Jonathan Kuminga as a potential answer at starting power forward, a move that would address a clear frontcourt need with a player whose upside still makes him one of the more intriguing names on the market. The interest has been steady enough to keep his name tied to Los Angeles, but the path to a deal has been anything but smooth as both sides continue to sort through what a contract would have to look like.
Cleveland remains in the conversation too, and for a team trying to fortify its front line, that matters because the Cavs and Lakers are still seen as the most realistic places Kuminga could land. The most workable route appears to be a sign-and-trade, which keeps the door open even as the negotiations sit in a holding pattern and the next move is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Just Got A Jonathan Kuminga Opening They Needed
Jonathan Kumingas market has been tricky for weeks, and the Lakers have remained in the middle of it while trying to find a path that fits both their roster and their willingness to pay. Los Angeles has been pursuing the forward for more than two months, and the club has already put a sign-and-trade framework on the table worth around $45 million, a sign that it is serious about trying to land a player whose upside still has teams around the league paying attention.
The roadblock has been less about talent than contract expectations, with Kuminga unwilling to settle for a veteran minimum one-year deal and other interested teams, including the Kings and Timberwolves, running into the same salary issues. Atlantas recent decision to hand his jersey number to another player only adds to the sense that the Hawks are not counting on keeping him, which could leave Los Angeles in a stronger position than it has been in for most of this process. [Read more 🡒]