The Los Angeles Lakers may be done making moves this offseason, but not everyone is sleeping on their revamped roster. In fact, one NBA executive believes the team is poised to take a major leap, possibly all the way to the Western Conference Finals.
Speaking to Lakers Daily, the anonymous exec praised Rob Pelinka’s additions of Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, calling them major upgrades to a squad that finished third in the West last season despite lacking a true starting center.
“They were the third seed last year and did that without a starting-level center. They definitely got better by adding Ayton and Smart,” the executive told Lakers Daily. “I can see them making the conference finals. You can never count out LeBron. I don’t care how old he is. He’s still amazing offensively.”
With LeBron James on the team, the Lakers are guaranteed to be at least somewhat competitive. Of course, the real key to their dominance is the play of Luka Doncic, who has spent the past few months getting into the best shape of his life.
“Everyone keeps talking about how great Luka looks after his weight loss,” the exec added. “He’s probably hungry to win it all next season.”
The Lakers finished third in the West last season, behind the Thunder and Rockets. With 50 wins, they were projected to go deep into the playoffs, but they never made it past the first round after losing to the Timberwolves in five games.
The response by Rob Pelinka this summer was prudent, and he made sure to bring in some help to avoid another disappointing run. The first order of business was picking up an impactful rookie, which they settled on Adou Thiero with the 36th pick. Next, they made some key pickups in free agency, adding Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia in a pair of impressive signings.
They followed those moves up with the addition of Marcus Smart, a defensive-minded point guard who averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game last season.
The Lakers’ activities this summer have improved their roster to a significant degree, and many experts predict another top-three finish in the West next season. That’s not even counting the new and improved Luka Doncic, who is set to take a massive leap as a slimmer, leaner, and faster version of himself.
With the Thunder, Warriors, Nuggets, Rockets, Mavericks, and Timberwolves all competing for a high spot in the standings, the margin for error will be narrow in the 2025-26 campaign, but the Lakers are confident they can rise above the rest.
Objectively, they get better over the summer, and even the experts can agree that they pose a real chance to win the title next year. Of course, it also means the Lakers will have no excuse if they somehow fail to challenge the NBA’s top contenders.
The pressure is officially on in Los Angeles. With Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart joining LeBron James and Luka Doncic, this version of the Lakers may be the deepest and most balanced of the post-bubble era. If they stay healthy and find early chemistry, a deep playoff run isn’t just possible, it’s expected.
But in a loaded Western Conference, expectations alone won’t be enough. The Lakers have reloaded, and now it’s time to prove that this version can finally deliver when it matters most.
