The Lakers have already changed a huge part of their roster around Luka Doncic in their Mavericks 2.0 attempt, with several new additions, but I still feel like there is one last piece missing. They added more defense, more size, and fresh faces who can handle the ball, yet they still don’t have that pure sniper shooter who starts creating problems for the defense before he even receives a pass.
That is why the Klay Thompson situation is so interesting. Christian Clark of The Athletic reported that the Mavericks have explored Thompson’s trade market and that the veteran shooter would welcome a return to Los Angeles, where he spent part of his childhood and still owns a home.
The problem is that the Lakers wouldn’t be alone if Thompson becomes available. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Heat have made Thompson their top target and are exploring both a trade and a possible buyout scenario. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have also reported that Dallas currently prefers finding a trade instead of simply letting him leave through a buyout, so this entire situation could take a while to develop.
PJ Washington has also been constantly mentioned in Lakers trade conversations because he played some of the best basketball of his career next to Doncic, although the actual odds are much colder than the rumors. Jake Fischer and Marc Stein have both pushed back on the idea that Los Angeles is actively trying to reunite Washington with Luka, even with the Mavericks believed to be open to moving several veterans.
I also think Washington could simply become too expensive. He is starting a four-year contract worth approximately $88.8 million, and Dallas would probably want one of the Lakers’ best remaining assets plus meaningful draft value. Spending almost everything left in the trade package on him feels like a lot, especially after he shot only 32.5% from three last season.
So, yeah, Thompson is the big-name shooting target, and Washington is the more complete forward, but neither one feels easy or especially likely right now. The Lakers already have enough players who can create with the ball behind Luka and Reaves, and with the need to trade or cut someone, they don’t necessarily need another expensive guy who wants touches. They may just need someone who runs around, launches without hesitating, and punishes every extra defender Luka brings toward him.
With Thompson potentially choosing Miami and Washington looking too expensive, these three cheaper sharpshooters could make much more sense.
3. Kevin Huerter
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Kevin Huerter
Detroit Pistons Receive: Jaden Hardy, 2032 second-round pick (via Wizards)
Kevin Huerter would be the obvious buy-low option, and honestly, I think this is exactly the type of smaller gamble the Lakers should be considering instead of chasing another huge name.
Huerter posted 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across 69 games last season, shooting 45.1% from the field but only 30.8% from three. That percentage is pretty ugly for someone whose entire reputation is connected to shooting, although his career mark remains 36.8% from deep, and I have a hard time believing he suddenly forgot how to do the main thing that kept him in the league for eight seasons.
His value isn’t only about standing in the corner either. Huerter is 6-foot-6, can move around screens, run dribble handoffs, and attack a defender who closes out too aggressively. He has always been much more comfortable playing within an offense than creating everything himself, which is perfect because the Lakers wouldn’t need him trying to become a secondary star.
Doncic is incredible at keeping weak-side defenders frozen for one extra second, and for someone like Huerter, that second is everything. He can move from the wing to the corner, lift behind a pick-and-roll, or sprint into an open area while Luka waits for the passing window to appear. Huerter doesn’t need ten dribbles or a complicated isolation. He just needs the defense to lose him for a moment.
The contract is also manageable. Huerter re-signed with the Pistons on a three-year, $27.0 million contract and will make around $9.5 million in 2026-27, with a team option in the final season. Jaden Hardy will earn $6.0 million next season, and the Lakers have enough room below the first-apron hard cap to absorb the remaining salary difference. Detroit would get a younger scoring guard and a future second-round pick while creating more minutes for its other shooters.
The Pistons already have Duncan Robinson, Isaiah Joe, and several perimeter players around Cade Cunningham, so Huerter could become somewhat expendable if his jumper remains inconsistent. Hardy is only 24 and can create his own shot, which gives Detroit another offensive option for the second unit without adding long-term money.
I definitely wouldn’t offer Dalton Knecht and Hardy together, because that would be too much for a player coming off a 30.8% season from three. Hardy and one second-round pick already feels like a fair gamble, and the Lakers shouldn’t negotiate against themselves just because Huerter was a respected shooter three or four years ago.
The risk is clear because Huerter hasn’t defended at a high level and his shooting has been inconsistent for a while, but this is still a player who once made 40.2% from three on more than six attempts per game. If Doncic can help him get anywhere close to that version again, the Lakers would have found a useful movement shooter without spending an important first-round asset.
2. Duncan Robinson
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Duncan Robinson
Detroit Pistons Receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, 2031 second-round pick (via Wizards)
Duncan Robinson is probably the best immediate offensive fit, and I can already imagine how annoying a Doncic-Robinson combination would be for opposing defenses. Robinson averaged 12.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists last season, shooting 45.6% from the field and 41.0% from three across 77 games. He also started every game he played for a Pistons team that won 60 games, so this isn’t based on reputation or what he did with the Heat five years ago. He was still an elite shooter for one of the best teams in the league.
He isn’t just running around and launching every time he catches the ball anymore. Robinson can attack closeouts, make the extra pass, and operate in two-man actions without completely stopping the possession. His years playing around Bam Adebayo helped him become much better in dribble handoffs, and JJ Redick could use similar concepts with Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Doncic, or Reaves.
The idea of Luka holding the ball on one side while Robinson runs around two screens on the other sounds ridiculous. Defenses already have to send help toward Doncic, and adding a 41.0% movement shooter would force them to choose between leaving Luka in single coverage or giving Robinson a clean look. He’ll earn around $16.0 million next season, which makes this framework more expensive than other scenarios. Vanderbilt is at $12.4 million, while Knecht will earn roughly $4.2 million, so the Lakers could match the salary without needing another team.
They would also turn two roster spots into one, which helps because Los Angeles currently has more standard contracts than it can carry into the season. Moving Vanderbilt and Knecht for one player would solve that issue while slightly lowering the total payroll.
The contract has some flexibility too, because only a small portion of Robinson’s next salary was originally guaranteed, and the following year isn’t fully guaranteed. The Lakers wouldn’t necessarily be adding another impossible long-term deal, although Detroit obviously wouldn’t trade a 41.0% shooter simply because his contract can eventually be moved. That is why the package needs to be stronger.
Vanderbilt would give the Pistons another physical defender and rebounder who can guard multiple positions, while Knecht could replace some of Robinson’s shooting and still has room to develop. The 2031 second-round pick adds another asset without forcing the Lakers to sacrifice their final first-round pick swap.
I still don’t know whether Detroit accepts this. Robinson was a starter for a 60-win team, and contenders usually aren’t interested in trading useful players for packages that may help them later. Still, the Pistons finally have multiple shooters and could value Vanderbilt’s defense around Cunningham, especially if Knecht convinces them that his shooting can translate in a larger role.
The defense would become a problem for the Lakers, obviously. A Doncic-Reaves-Robinson perimeter trio would be targeted every night, and Robinson isn’t going to suddenly become an elite stopper because he changed teams. Los Angeles would need Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Kessler protecting those lineups as much as possible.
I would still do it. Robinson is a specialist, and his specialty is one of the most valuable skills to put next to Doncic. The defense may become uncomfortable, but the offense could become completely different. Of the three players here, Robinson is the one I would trust most in a playoff game tomorrow.
1. Buddy Hield
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Buddy Hield
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Jaden Hardy, 2031 second-round pick (via Wizards)
There’s no denying that Buddy Hield had a disappointing 2025-26 season, averaging only 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists across 51 games while shooting 43.7% from the field and 34.9% from three. Those numbers were easily below his normal standard, but I am not ready to erase an entire decade because of one bad year.
This is still a career 39.5% three-point shooter who has made more than 2,000 threes and has never been afraid to launch from anywhere. Hield shoots in transition, runs around screens, relocates after passing, and has range several feet behind the line. He doesn’t need to be perfectly balanced, and he definitely doesn’t need to think about whether the shot is wide open, so that confidence is what I like most for the Lakers.
Doncic creates good shots constantly, but sometimes the offense loses value because the player catching the pass hesitates, takes one unnecessary dribble, or allows the defense to recover. Hield doesn’t really have that problem. If he sees daylight, the ball is going up, and that is exactly what should happen when Luka draws the help defender.
The Hawks guaranteed Hield’s $9.7 million salary for 2026-27, although that doesn’t mean he is untouchable. Atlanta has multiple perimeter defenders and younger wings competing for minutes, while Hield is already 33 and could become more valuable as a trade salary than as a major part of the rotation.
Hardy’s $6.0 million contract gives the Lakers enough salary to make the trade work within their current apron position. The Hawks would lower their payroll, get much younger and add a future second-round pick while still replacing some of Hield’s bench scoring.
I like this framework because the Lakers wouldn’t need to involve Vanderbilt, Knecht, or their 2032 first-round pick swap. They would be acquiring one of the most proven high-volume shooters of his generation for an expendable guard and a second-round pick.
Obviously, Hield isn’t solving the defense. He can be targeted, doesn’t provide much rebounding, and will turn 34 during the season. He also has a $10.1 million player option for 2027-28, so the Lakers could end up carrying him for another year even if his decline continues.
Still, I think the price makes the gamble very easy to justify. Washington could cost the Lakers their best remaining trade asset and multiple rotation players. Thompson may choose Miami if he reaches a buyout, and Dallas could simply refuse to help another Western Conference team. Hield is a much less complicated target who could become available without the Lakers destroying the rest of their flexibility.
Hield may be coming off a bad season, but playing beside Luka could give him the easiest looks he has seen in years. Even if he only returns to 38.0% from three, the spacing would improve immediately, and defenses would have another player they can’t ignore. He isn’t Klay Thompson in his prime, and he definitely isn’t bringing any defensive potential. Still, as a pure shooter available for a reasonable price, Hield feels like the smartest combination of name, fit, and realistic trade value.
