The Los Angeles Lakers have completely revamped their team around Luka Doncic. LeBron James is gone, and there is a new sheriff in town now and going forward.
The front office locked up Austin Reaves on a massive long-term contract worth $185 million, finally solved its long-running hole at center by trading for Walker Kessler, signed Kevon Looney, and added two excellent guards in Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton.
On paper, this is a better team with far more depth than last season. But in the loaded Western Conference, “better” won’t be enough.
The San Antonio Spurs are a legitimate powerhouse behind Victor Wembanyama, and the OKC Thunder are still a title favorite. The Lakers have a very solid team right now, but might need one more piece to take them over the top.
But the problem is simple: money. The Lakers are already carrying roughly $200.1 million in team salary. Their most realistic outgoing salary package, Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jake LaRavia ($6.0 million), and Dalton Knecht ($4.2 million), adds up to only about $22.5 million. That won’t cut it for the Lakers’ major targets, even if the 2032 first-round pick and 2033 second-round pick are involved.
Under the NBA’s current CBA, salary matching isn’t easy, and Lakers fans’ dreams could be in jeopardy as a result.
Three names continue to stand out as perfect basketball fits alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Unfortunately for the Lakers, they’re also among the hardest players in the league to realistically acquire. Here are the three targets the Lakers will find impossible to land this offseason.
3. Trey Murphy III
2026-27 Salary: $27,000,000
2025-26 Player Stats: 21.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Lakers fans should be dreaming about Trey Murphy III. Murphy has blossomed into one of the league’s best two-way forwards, averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while knocking down 37.9% from three last season. He did his damage in 66 games, playing 35.5 MPG.
At 6’8″ with elite athleticism, he can create his own shot and space the floor. He is only 26 years old and has yet to play meaningful basketball, so he is hungry to prove himself.
His fit next to Luka Doncic would be outstanding. Murphy wouldn’t need the ball constantly to score and would become the Lakers’ best long-term wing defender. Unlike an aging veteran, Murphy also aligns perfectly with the Lakers’ new timeline built around Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler.
Ironically, Murphy has the smallest contract of the three at $27 million annually, but he may be the least attainable. New Orleans views him as one of its foundational players, so matching salary has to come with picks.
Financially, the Lakers still can’t reach his salary with the Vanderbilt-LaRavia-Knecht package alone, leaving them short by roughly $4.5 million. That’s the easiest obstacle to overcome compared to the other two players, but convincing the Pelicans to strengthen a Western Conference rival is a completely different challenge.
The salary cap makes the trade difficult; New Orleans’ asking price may make it impossible.
2. Aaron Gordon
2026-27 Salary: $31,978,037
2025-26 Player Stats: 16.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Aaron Gordon is what you call a star in his role. He has become one of the NBA’s most valuable complementary stars, averaging 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while defending virtually every frontcourt position. He also added 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks per game while shooting 38.9% from three in 36 appearances.
Gordon’s athleticism, physicality, and willingness to do the dirty work have made him invaluable on the Nuggets over the past few years. That means Gordon checks nearly every box the Lakers could ask for.
Luka Doncic and Aaron Gordon would be trouble when it comes to lobs in the pick-and-roll. He would give Los Angeles another physical defender capable of matching up with bigger forwards in the West and add defensive resistance. Gordon held a 118.4 last season.
The issue isn’t just Gordon’s $31.98 million salary, but Denver’s motivation. Championship contenders don’t willingly trade players who perfectly complement their superstar.
Even if Denver entertained conversations, the Lakers’ salary package still falls nearly $10 million short before additional contracts are included. Not to mention, are the Lakers going to the end of the Earth to acquire a player who is turning 31 years old?
For the right price, it makes sense. But it just isn’t feasible right now, considering who the Lakers have available to trade.
1. Jrue Holiday
2026-27 Salary: $34,800,000
2025-26 Player Stats: 16.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG
If the Lakers could hand-pick one veteran to complete their starting lineup, Jrue Holiday would be near the top of the list. Even at 36 years old, Holiday is still an elite defender (116.7 defensive rating) and complementary star that every Luka Doncic-led team needs.
He averaged 16.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steals while shooting 37.8% from three-point range, proving he can thrive without dominating the ball. No doubt, Holiday’s fit in Los Angeles is almost too perfect, even if he only played 53 games last season.
Jrue doesn’t need 20 shots to impact a game and has championship experience that would immediately fix the Lakers’ defensive identity. A closing lineup featuring Holiday, Reaves, Doncic, and Walker Kessler would have legitimate championship upside.
The finances, however, are brutal. Holiday’s $34.8 million salary dwarfs the Lakers’ most realistic outgoing package of roughly $22.5 million, meaning Los Angeles would need to include significantly more salary just to make a legal trade.
For a Lakers team already sitting around $200 million in payroll, pulling off this deal borders on impossible.
