The Los Angeles Lakers entered this offseason with one clear goal: to surround LeBron James and Luka Doncic with size, defense, and shooting. Instead, they’ve taken multiple losses, and it’s the Clippers who keep handing them out.
First came the Brook Lopez debacle. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers were considered frontrunners for the veteran center. Lopez was intrigued by the opportunity to start alongside LeBron and Luka, offering his elite rim protection and three-point shooting to a roster that badly needed size.
However, uncertainty around LeBron James’ future gave Lopez second thoughts. Shelburne wrote:
“Free agent center Brook Lopez, who league sources said had strongly considered the Lakers and the potential starting role, grew wary of the uncertainty around James’ future with the team and opted to sign with the rival LA Clippers, where he will be a backup.”
A brutal miss for the Lakers and a massive gain for their in-building rivals.
Then came John Collins. The Lakers were reportedly exploring a potential swap that would send Rui Hachimura to Utah for Collins. Collins, still just 26, was seen as a more explosive fit, an athletic power forward who could thrive in transition and on lobs with Luka Doncic.
The Lakers were also eyeing a package involving Walker Kessler and Collins in broader talks. But instead of ending up in purple and gold, Collins was traded to the Clippers in a three-team deal with the Jazz and Heat, giving Ty Lue another versatile frontcourt option.
Two potential frontcourt upgrades gone. And both to the Clippers.
Now, the Lakers may lose out on a third target: Chris Paul. The 39-year-old point guard wants to spend his final NBA season in Los Angeles, where he owns a home and built his legacy with the Clippers.
Though many believed a LeBron-CP3 reunion was finally in play, especially after Paul was nearly traded to the Lakers in the infamous vetoed deal of 2011, momentum has swung toward a Clippers homecoming.
For the Clippers, this is a statement. They’re winning the offseason by quietly adding depth and capitalizing on the Lakers’ hesitation. Lopez and Collins could both be starting-caliber players, but in LA’s red and blue, they’ll bring veteran punch off the bench or slide into small-ball closing lineups.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are left scrambling. They’ve lost two prime targets to their hallway neighbors and might watch a third close the door on their offseason ambitions.
In a summer that was supposed to be about building a contender around LeBron and Luka, the Lakers have instead watched the Clippers build one of the deepest rotations in basketball, and they did it with players the Lakers openly wanted.
The battle for Los Angeles? Right now, it’s not even close.
