Over the last few months, it has been believed that the Los Angeles Lakers have been aiming to pursue another superstar to place alongside Luka Doncic. Their targets in that regard have been believed to be Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić, both of whom can opt out of their current contracts and become free agents in 2027.
As a result, the Lakers were reportedly very reluctant to add any contracts that stretched beyond this coming season so that they could have maximum salary cap flexibility in order to either sign Antetokounmpo or Jokic in 2027 or trade for one of them. But it looks like that stance has changed. NBA insider Marc Stein wrote on his Substack that the Lakers are in “win-now” mode and have softened their reluctance to add any long-term salary, and Dan Woike of The Athletic expanded on that changed mentality in a recent article.
“According to team and league sources, the Lakers’ stance on roster improvements heading into this season has shifted because of the start of this new chapter together,” Woike wrote.
“While the Lakers had resisted scenarios in which the team would take on contracts that lasted beyond the 2025-26 season earlier this summer, Dončić’s multi-year commitment has nudged LA’s priorities in more aggressive directions.”
Doncic agreed to a three-year contract extension on Aug. 2, the first day he was eligible for an extension. There was some speculation prior to that agreement that perhaps he wasn’t fully committed to staying with the Lakers, especially since it seemed as if they weren’t focused on winning now, but that extension has now given many the belief that Doncic will be a Laker for life.
Stein mentioned that L.A. would be interested in acquiring a two-way wing such as the Miami Heat’s Andrew Wiggins, a player it was linked to earlier this summer. The price for Wiggins was reportedly too high a couple of months ago, but that could always change. In addition, there is always the chance that a different 3-and-D player who isn’t available now becomes available closer to the midwinter trade deadline.
