The Los Angeles Lakers certainly have some big moves this offseason, but if you ask NBA legend Isiah Thomas, they still haven’t reached the level where anyone should seriously take them as title contenders.
Speaking on Run It Back TV, Thomas explained why Luka Doncic alone isn’t enough to raise the Lakers into the top tier of the NBA.
“Anytime you have Luka on your team, you’ve got a chance to win. He’s good enough to walk into your building on a playoff night, beat you, and silence your fans. He can win a road game by himself because he can drop 50 on you and laugh in your face while doing it. So yeah, what Luka has done for the Lakers is make sure they’re always going to be in the conversation.”
:I don’t know if he’s done what Wemby has done, though. Wemby has put you in the championship conversation. Luka puts you in the conversation of, ‘Okay, we’re good enough to make the playoffs and exceed expectations.’ But we’re not talking about the Lakers winning the championship this year. To me, that’s the difference.”
It seems like a harsh assessment, but there is valid truth behind it.
The Lakers came into this offseason with one of the largest cap spaces available, especially after LeBron James decided to leave in free agency. Rather than going after another superstar, Rob Pelinka surrendered Luka Doncic for younger pieces.
After signing Austin Reaves to a 4-year, $185 million extension, their biggest addition came in the form of Walker Kessler, who arrived in a blockbuster sign-and-trade to solve the Lakers’ long-standing issues at the center position. Then they added Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili in free agency. The Lakers also acquired Jaden Hardy after trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards, while Cameron Carr was drafted as the 24th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Those are solid moves, no doubt. But the losses are also significant
The biggest one is LeBron James, who ended his eight-year tenure with the team. And given how the Lakers approached him for his return, it’s safe to say that the two sides needed a split. There were other losses too. Marcus Smart joined the Rockets, Luke Kennard joined the Suns, Rui Hachimura joined the Clippers, and Jaxson Hayes is also set to leave.
The front office isn’t done either. The Lakers are searching for a backup big after trading Ayton and are looking to add to their wing depth as well. Jonathan Kuminga is rumored to be the prime target.
Offensively, this team has the talent to be the best in the league.
The real concern lies on the defensive end. Doncic and Reaves are subpar defenders at best. The lack of athletic wing depth and no point-of-attack defenders will be major issues. And the Lakers also don’t have a tradeable pick for the next seven years, so it will be tough to add two-way talent.
Right now, the Lakers are a very good playoff team that can win a series or two behind Luka’s brilliance. But unless they figure out a way to address their weakness, they will not be considered a threat in the West.
