The Los Angeles Lakers have already had one of the busiest offseasons in the NBA. LeBron Jamesâ exit was the official signal to Luka Doncic as the face of the franchise, and general manager Rob Pelinka immediately got to work.
After James informed the franchise he wasnât going to return for the 2026-27 season, the Lakers acquired Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz. L.A. subsequently added Colin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and most recently Ziaire Williams. The team now remains heavily involved in the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes. Apparently, Pelinka isn’t finished just yet.
One proposed three-team trade would give the Lakers win-now piece to pair alongside Doncic (Because if you’re building around Luka, why stop at one splash?)
Lakers Pair Luka Doncic With Five-Time All-Star
In a hypothetical scenario, the Lakers would acquire five-time All-Star Klay Thompson, the Minnesota Timberwolves receive Jarred Vanderbilt and the Mavericks land Donte DiVincenzo.
Thompson might be what a lot of younger fans like to label âwashed,â but he remains one of the NBA’s best shooters. After losing Rui Hachimura, who shot nearly 60% from 3 in the 2026 playoffs, the Lakers could use a Thompson-level shooter next to Doncic. The move would also continue the Lakers’ offseason philosophy of surrounding Doncic with veterans who figure to be worthy fits.
Funny enough, Thompson, according to reports, was considering joining the Lakers in the 2024 offseason. But he ultimately chose to play with Doncic in Dallas. If this trade were to happen, Thompson would get Los Angeles as well as playing with Doncic again ⦠and maybe this time Doncic wonât get traded before the midseason deadline.
Klay Wonât Make L.A. The Favorite, But Heâs Worth it at the Right Price
According to NBA insiders Jake Fischer and Marc Stein, the Mavs are showing interest in trading Thompson. It is unclear what kind of return Dallas is seeking for the 36-year-old former All-Star, but one would figure it wouldnât be a king’s ransom.
Last season, Thompson registered a shade under 12 points per game along with a 38.3% 3-point percentage. Those numbers rival what Hachimura â who signed with the cross-town rival Clippers earlier this offseason â produced for the Lakers last season.
Thompson isn’t the same player who helped the Golden State Warriors win four NBA championships. (That guy was scoring 60 points on more deflections than dribbles!) Injuries and age have taken their toll, and expecting him to consistently resemble the player from his prime would be unrealistic. The Lakers wouldn’t need him to be.
With Doncic orchestrating the offense and the rest of the supporting cast handling complementary roles, Thompson could find an impactful role off the bench as a knockdown shooter and someone Doncic can use as leverage to hunt 1-on-1 opportunities.
So would the Wolves and Mavs agree to this proposed trade?
Minnesota would reunite with Vanderbilt, someone who rose as a fan-favorite in his time with the franchise before arriving in L.A. via trade. Dallas, meanwhile, might be content with replacing Thompson with a younger sharpshooter in DiVincenzo, though heâll likely miss the 2026-27 season because of a torn Achilles tendon.
