The Lakers have rebuilt most of their rotation around Luka Doncic, adding Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams and several useful role players. The roster makes more sense now, but one problem still looks obvious. They don’t have a proven wing who can spend an entire playoff series chasing the best perimeter scorer on the other team.
Marc Stein reported that the Lakers registered interest in Matisse Thybulle this week while continuing to search for perimeter defense. Los Angeles already has 15 players under contract after signing Williams, so another addition would require a waiver, trade, or other roster move. Still, these four defenders remain realistic enough to consider.
4. Bruce Brown Jr.
Bruce Brown Jr. isn’t a traditional 6’7” lockdown wing, but he has defended nearly every perimeter role during his eight NBA seasons. The 29-year-old averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 82 games for the Nuggets last season. He shot 47.5% from the field and 38.5% from three, which was his best three-point percentage since 2021-22.
Brown would give the Lakers a different type of defensive versatility. He can pressure smaller guards, switch onto wings, and survive short possessions against stronger forwards. Grimes is already a good point-of-attack defender, but Brown would give JJ Redick another experienced option who understands rotations, switching, and playoff basketball.
His offensive fit also makes sense next to Doncic. Brown isn’t really a stationary corner shooter. He cuts behind the defense, screens for ball handlers, attacks closeouts, and can handle the ball for short stretches. Doncic has always helped this type of role player because he creates open lanes without asking them to produce isolation offense.
The Lakers nearly signed Brown after Denver’s 2023 championship run. Brown later confirmed that Los Angeles offered him a three-year, $50.0 million contract before the Pacers changed his decision with a larger short-term offer. He is now an unrestricted free agent again, and remains unsigned. A minimum contract would be a very different situation, but his versatility and experience still make him worth calling.
3. Isaac Okoro
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Isaac Okoro
Chicago Bulls Receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, 2031 second-round pick
Isaac Okoro is the only player on this list who would require a trade. He averaged 9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals-blocks in 26.9 minutes for the Bulls last season. Okoro shot 46.0% from the field, but his three-point percentage dropped to 33.0% after making 38.3% across the previous two seasons.
The defensive value is much more stable than the shooting. Okoro is 6’4” and 225 pounds, which gives him enough strength to defend bigger wings without losing the quickness needed against guards. He can take the hardest assignment, fight through screens, and let Grimes spend more possessions on secondary scorers. That would be a serious upgrade for a roster that currently has several decent defenders but no clear full-time stopper.
Offensively, Okoro would have a very basic job. He would run the floor, cut, attack empty space, and shoot open corner threes. The Lakers wouldn’t need him to create because Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Sexton already control most of the possessions. Okoro’s 33.0% shooting last season is a concern, but his previous improvement showed that defenses can’t completely ignore him.
Okoro will make $11.8 million in the final season of his contract. Vanderbilt is owed $12.4 million in 2026-27, so the salaries are close enough for a simple framework. The Bulls finished 31-51 and 12th in the Eastern Conference, so turning an expiring defensive specialist into another defender plus a future second-round pick would at least be a logical conversation. This isn’t a reported trade proposal, only a framework based on both teams’ current needs.
2. Ochai Agbaji
Ochai Agbaji became an unrestricted free agent after the Nets declined to give him an $8.8 million qualifying offer. His 2025-26 numbers weren’t good, and the Nets are going in a different direction. Agbaji averaged 5.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 62 games between the Raptors and Nets. He shot 43.6% from the field and only 26.6% from three. His playing time dropped to 15.7 minutes per game after he started 45 games one season earlier.
The Lakers would be betting that last season was the exception, not his actual level. Agbaji averaged 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.4 steals-blocks in 2024-25 while shooting 49.8% from the field and 39.9% from three. That version was a useful 3-and-D wing who could defend multiple perimeter positions, finish in transition, and punish open coverage.
At 6’5” and 215 pounds, Agbaji has the size and athleticism the Lakers still need. He isn’t as disruptive as Thybulle or as strong as Okoro, but he can stay attached to wings, absorb contact and play without controlling the ball. On a minimum deal, there wouldn’t be much risk. He is only 26, and Luka could give him the easiest offensive role of his career.
1. Matisse Thybulle
Matisse Thybulle has to be first because this connection comes from an actual report. Stein said the Lakers registered interest in Thybulle this week as they broadened their search for perimeter defense. He remains an unrestricted free agent after completing his contract with the Trail Blazers.
Thybulle averaged only 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 30 games last season, but his defensive production was still ridiculous for 16.0 minutes per game. He recorded 2.0 steals and 0.5 blocks, giving him 2.5 steals-blocks per game. He also shot 39.8% from three on 3.1 attempts, although the small number of games and attempts has to be considered.
That defensive playmaking is exactly what the Lakers are missing. Thybulle doesn’t only stay in front of his assignment. He attacks passing lanes, blocks jump shots from behind, and creates transition possessions without needing the ball. Luka and Reaves can carry the half-court creation, while Kessler protects the rim. Thybulle could handle the most difficult perimeter matchup and connect those two parts of the defense.
There are clear limitations. Thybulle isn’t a reliable creator, rebounder or high-volume shooter, and his aggressive style can leave space behind him. Still, no available player gives the Lakers a higher defensive ceiling. Brown is more complete, Okoro is stronger, and Agbaji is younger, but Thybulle is the one player here who can completely change possessions with his defense. For a Lakers team searching for a true lockdown wing, he is the best option left.
