The Los Angeles Lakers were multiple levels behind the OKC Thunder in their second-round matchup in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, with the Thunder sweeping LA en route to the Western Conference Finals. While the Lakers were without Luka Doncic, it’s hard to say that Doncic’s presence alone could have changed the outcome of the series with OKC’s status as reigning champions and No. 1 seed this season.
The Thunder fell to their first loss of the postseason on Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs in a 125-111 2OT thriller. The game is being called one of the best of the 2026 Playoffs so far, as Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs picked up their fifth win (regular season included) over the title favorites this season.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson was watching the game and shared a realization for all Western Conference teams, including the Lakers, about their chances of success in a conference with San Antonio and OKC.
“I hate to break the news to the rest of the Western Conference, but they may not have a chance to win the Western Conference Finals for the next 5-7 years. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are just that good! They are talented, deep, athletic, and both teams are well coached.”
The Spurs-Thunder Western Conference Finals matchup is the first time two teams with 60+ wins have met in the Playoffs since the 1996 NBA Finals. The closest Western team to these two was the Denver Nuggets, who were eight wins behind the No. 2 seed Spurs. But the Spurs’ superiority in head-to-head matchups all season proved to translate to the Playoffs with this strong win to open the series.
The Lakers are heading into a major offseason where they’re expected to reshape the roster around Luka Doncic. While Doncic is a player with the same caliber of talent as Wembanyama or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Lakers’ roster is miles away from what the Spurs and OKC have put together around their franchise superstars.
One summer isn’t enough for the Lakers to put a meaningful contender around Doncic and become a team that’s capable of beating either of the 2026 Western Conference Finalists in a series over the next few seasons. Both the Spurs and Thunder are young teams, while the Lakers have to deal with potentially giving Austin Reaves a max contract extension and losing LeBron James to free agency. Managing that and adding pieces to the roster for next season will be a significant challenge.
The Lakers don’t have the best track record of building around their franchise star, as LeBron’s experience over eight seasons with the franchise tells us. Outside the 2019-20 season, the Lakers were never in a position where they were realistic championship contenders. Unless Rob Pelinka can replicate that magic in the 2026 offseason, the Lakers will remain a step behind the Spurs and Thunder.
Doncic, as a talent, might be able to lead a team to a Playoff series upset win over a major favorite, as he’s done repeatedly over his career, but the Lakers need to give him the pieces that put him in a position where he can do that.
