LAKERS OFFSEASON NO LEBRON JAMES BIG BOARD TOP 10

WRITTEN + EDITED BY JORDYN BONTRAGER

As the NBA world braces for what could be a behemoth of an offseason, the Lakers sit right smack dab in the belly of that impending beast. With the league’s second most cap space available for Rob Pelinka’s allocation, the composition of this club’s core around Luka Doncic could look completely different in the months to come.

ICYMI: We have already deciphered the Purp + Gold’s most tantalizing overall targets from a tier just below the bracket of today’s dissection. Those aforementioned options could all offer their own distinct assortment of attributes, but none would bring quite as much to the table for this specific team as the top 10 guys the front office should pursue.

ICYMIx2: Here is how things shook out with regards to #20-11 within these rankings:

20 | Mitchell Robinson

19 | De’Anthony Melton

18 | Deandre Ayton

17 | Dillon Brooks

16 | Daniel Gafford

15 | Luke Kennard

14 | Nic Claxton

13 | Saddiq Bey

12 | Marcus Smart

11 | Day’Ron Sharpe

10 = MICHAEL PORTER JR | BROOKYLN NETS | 27 YRS | 6’10” | 218 LBS | SF-PF

Sooner or later Sean Marks is surely going to cash in on his strongest active trade asset in MPJ. There are not many other similarly-framed forwards out there that are more dangerous from deep (career 39.8% 3FG x 6.4 3PA/game), and Porter established himself as an elite secondary scoring option who maneuvers fluidly off ball during his tenure in Denver. But in what seemed like a dope deal on Denver’s behalf at the time, the Nuggets decided it was in their best interest to abolish the massive max extension they previously granted him from their books.

Their trash turned into Brooklyn’s treasure, as MPJ erupted after shifting from the cabin to the cockpit of his team’s totem pole: 32.5 MPG | 24.2 PPG | 7.1 RPG | 3.0 APG vs 2.3 TOPG | 0.3 BPG | 1.1 SPG | 46.3% FG | 36.3% 3FG | 85.9% FT. He only suited up in 52 total games while battling the injury bug, but let’s not act like his team did not hold him out a little longer than necessary for tanking purposes.

Porter’s hefty salary ($40.8 milli) expires after the 2026-2027 season, so it is only a matter of time before his bidding war begins. When they do indeed engage, the Lakers could have a couple different paths to picking Porter up in a trade:

• RUI SIGN + TRADE #1: Rui Hachimura ($23 milli) + Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 milli) + Dalton Knecht ($4.2 milli) + FRP = MPJ

• EXPANDED RUI SIGN + TRADE #2: Rui Hachimura + Jarred Vanderbilt + Deandre Ayton ($8.1 milli) + Dalton Knecht + FRP + SRP = MPJ + Day’Ron Sharpe ($6.3 milli)

• AUSTIN REAVES SIGN + TRADE #1: Austin Reaves ($33 milli) + Deandre Ayton = MPJ

• EXPANDED AUSTIN REAVES SIGN + TRADE #2: Austin Reaves + Jarred Vanderbilt + Deandre Ayton + Jake LaRavia ($6 milli) + FRP + SRP = MPJ + Nic Claxton ($23.1 milli)

Perhaps you could do better than MPJ as your team’s #2/3 option, but you could undoubtedly do a helluva lot worse. Porter Jr. would hypothetically be the perfect stretch 4 option to slot next to Doncic for the next 5-10 years, and his expiring contract could be offloaded prior to the trade deadline if his fit were not as snug as it should hypothetically be.

9 = TREY MURPHY III | NEW ORLEANS PELICANS | 25 YRS | 6’8” | 206 LBS | SF-SG-PF

Since he was recently spotted court-side aside Tyrese Haliburton in support of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, the crystal balls have been screaming Pacers as it pertains to which team Trey Murphy could play for next. Of course, that is if the Pelicans even elect to punt on the $87 million payable to Murphy’s personal account through 2029. If they were to run that route, they would be parting with the team’s top scorer this szn (21.5 PPG on excellent splits of 47% FG | 37.9% 3FG | 88.6% FT) and a guy who blends an explosive nature with fundamental skills (classic Virginia product) that make him difficult for defenses to digest considering his shot diet comes from all dimensions of the floor.

While his offensive acumen may flirt with fans of his game (ourselves included btw), Murphy certainly leaves a lot to be desired on the less glamorous end of the floor. His 119.0 DRTG was noticeably poor when compared to the 116.4 average DRTG among the NBA’s small forward population this season. He has the lanky physical gifts to develop as a lockdown defender on the wing, and if he ever finds his stride on that side of the floor he could level up to superstar status.

Say Pelinka was able to see past the current defensive concerns and landed on Murphy as the team’s bullseye among all possible targets, what package would it take to pry him away from the Pels? Earlier in the year it wasreportedthat New Orleans was seeking a king’s ransom in negotiations involving Murphy, seeking a trifecta of first-round picks + young talent in return for the budding forward’s services. That price seems a tad steep, but there is no denying the thought of Murphy thriving with the Don if Robby P were able to manifest some bargaining magic with Joe Dumars + Bryson Graham.

8 = ANDREW WIGGINS| MIAMI HEAT| 31 YRS | 6’7” | 210 LBS | SF-SG-PF

Wiggins has not turned in the once in a lifetime type career that his buzz projected he would coming out of Kansas, but the veteran swingman has carved out a clear place among the top 3&D players in the league. It was never shocking to see his athletic physique excel as a quirky, lanky slasher on the offensive end, but him buying into a role as a stopper from the point he was traded to Golden State on came as a bit of a surprise. Things have seemed to click for the former #1 pick since that transition, highlighted by his huge contributions to the Dubs’s championship dub back in 2022.

Flash forward four years to the present, and the tutelage which Wiggy garnered from his mentor Iggy throughout that chapter certainly paid dividends. In 68 games played(+ started) during his first full szn in Miami following the February ‘25 Jimmy Butler blockbuster, Wiggins provided the Heat with his typically disruptive defense (1.0 BPG + 1.1 SPG) + splashy shooting (41.4% 3FG x 4.9 attempts/game) + steady, secondary playmaking (15.4 PPG x 2.7 APG vs 1.5 TOPG).

In other words, Andrew Wiggins gives you everything you realistically need require (+ more) from any potential wing running mates of Luka’s. He does have a $30.2 million player option for next year which he could very easily opt into. Or perhaps his reps with CAA find it best for the 3&D specialist to decline that in an effort to secure what could likely serve as Wiggy’s last large x lengthy contract now as opposed to awaiting the unknown of the future. Whichever scenario plays out, the Lakers always have the option to dangle Hachimura since Miami would be in need of a new starting forward. That is unless Pat Riley would be willing to negotiate a more preferred package predicated by Vanderbilt, LaRavia and Knecht.

7 = ROBERT WILLIAMS III | PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS | 27 YRS | 6’9” | 249 LBS | C-PF

Rumors have already started swirling around the mill on this one, and Williams’s name should without a doubt be somewhere atop the frontcourt guys this front office is focused in on. Donovan Clingan has a firm grip on the bulk of Portland’s future frontcourt minutes, meaning RW3 is free game. Furthermore, his next contract should not come at too hefty a price. However, Williams will be one of the most sought after centers on the open market this summer + arrives fresh off an uber-efficient regular season (70.8% FG x 39.1% 3FG x 14.7 rebounds/36 minutes) topped off with similar postseason excellence (21.6 MPG | 9.6 PPG | 7.4 RPG | 2.6 APG vs 0.4 TOPG [!] | 1.2 BPG | 0.6 SPG | 62.9% FG). Those things in mind, expect his WME peeps to shoot for the stars with regards to his next starting salary.

Something in the range of a 3 year x $30 million deal with a team option on the third szn seems about right for what Time Lord brings to the table. For starters, Williams is a sturdy defensive anchor with the springs to protect the paint + survive in a lot of switching situations. Let us not forget that once upon a time the dude in discussion was a perennial DPOY candidate. Branching off of his defensive prowess, the dread head is a one-man wrecking crew on the boards, capable of single-handedly holding down the defensive glass while constantly wrestling for offensive rebounds (scooped a staggering 5.1 offensive boards/36 minutes last year) on the opposite end.

Williams III is a lot alike guys Nic Claxton + Daniel Gafford, boasting similar weaponry in the fields of defensive intimidation, masterful rebounding, and opportunistic vertical efficiency. The world has never witnessed any legitimate playmaking potential, but RW3 gave us his best Claxton-impressions within this realm through the duration of the 1:4 Spurs series defeat. He has also shown some sporadic floor-spacing potential (shot 9-23 from triple this year), hinting at some possible areas of untapped potential.

6 = RUI HACHIMURA | THE LAKESHOW | 28 YRS | 6’8” | 230 LBS | SF-PF

There are not enough positive words in the English dictionary to fully describe how amazing Rui Hachimura was throughout the playoffs for the Lakers. It takes a village to fill the type of void left in Luka Doncic’s absence, and Rui chipped in more than his share of the slack through the team’s 10 postseason games: 38.6 MPG | 17.5 PPG | 4.0 RPG | 1.7 APG vs 0.9 TOPG | 0.9 SPG | 0.6 BPG | 54.9% FG | 56.9% 3FG | 72.7% FT. His sizzling shooting from downtown should come as a no surprise, though, considering Hachimura’s career 51.6% clip is the NBA’s highest hit rate from deep IN HISTORY.

Black Samurai’s strong relationship with Doncic serves his odds of retainment well, but will he want to return? As he begins his prime years, chances are Rui would prefer operating from a more sizable role going forward. He surely appreciates all of the wisdom which he has been blessed to absorb from LeBron across 3.5 years together, but there is no doubting his aim to claim Bron’s starting forward spot if a return to LA were to work it’s way to the surface of reality.

There are a wide variety of other wing options out there for the Lakers to potentially “upgrade” to this summer. But when you factor in Hachimura’s pre-established chemistry with Doncic/Reaves + physical malleability on the frontline (can hang against most matchups 3-5), are some of those other options truly upgrades from an overall fit perspective?

5 = GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO | MILWAUKEE BUCKS | 31 YRS | 6’11” | 243 LBS | PF-C-SF

Of all the potential ups that the Lakers could pick this summer, there would be none grander get than the Greek Freak. And with a Giannis trade looking likely to happen by June 23rd’s draft, perhaps Pelinka finds a potential Doncic-Giannis pairing too promising to pass up. At the end of the day, could anyone really hold it against him for pulling the trigger + emptying the cabinet in order to form quite possibly the most dominant duo this game has ever seen?

Offensively, Luka already holsters enough pizzazz on the perimeter to put an entire attack on his back. Giannis rides the same wavelength when it comes to controlling the entire flow of his team’s offense, but where Doncic utilizes his methods of manipulation x finesse Antetokounmpo pulls from an arsenal of pure power x command. Together, they could balance out each other’s dynamics to build a foundation pillared on thunder (Giannis) + lightning (Luka). Giannis brings the boom, and Luka brings the show. It would be like watching Kobe and Shaq if Kobe was more tailored towards table setting and Shaq was a bit more versatile when it came to making things happen alternative to his typical punishing manners.

Maybe the NBA champion and 10x All-Star’s track record should translate to a top seeding on this particular list. The only issue hindering that translation is the cause for concern that Giannis’s addition would produce in the department of depth. From a common sense standpoint, scoring Giannis Antetokounmpo would make life easier for Luka Doncic. But from an overall logistical perspective, his acquisition would also simultaneously make things more difficult for the front office when it comes to filling out the depth chart in it’s entirety.

4 = ALEX SARR | WASHINGTON WIZARDS | 21 YRS | 7’0” | 205 LBS | PF-C

Let the record show that to our knowledge, Washington has not shown any potential signals indicating any interest in the idea of parting with their #2 pick from 2024. Sarr looked a lot more comfortable in his own skin out there in his sophomore season, officially implanting himself above fellow-French prospect + 2024 #1 pick Zaccharie Risacher on any fantasy re-drafts for that class. In doing so, the assumption would be that he should be entrenched within the Wizards’s future plans.

But think about the Wizards’s present plans for the weeks to come, and things start to get a hair murkier on the topic of Sarr’s future.

6’9”, 217 pound AJ Dybantsa is about to make his way to the top of the organization’s priorities immediately upon his official announcement as their #1 pick a few weeks from now. Anthony Davis may already want outof Washington, but perhaps GM Will Dawkins + fellow newly-acquired All-Star ice Trae Young persuade AD to make the most of his new situation given the talented roster’s potential success. Or maybe Dawkins deals Davis somewhere like OKC in a package for someone like scapegoat Chet Holmgren. You also have a trio of rising wings in Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley who are each chomping at the bit for frontcourt run. They also must figure out what the fate holds for Angel Reese’s little brother Julian, who made the most of his opportunities while filling one of the team’s two-way slots this szn (13 GAMES | 10 STARTS | 30.9 MPG | 11.8 PPG | 10.5 RPG | 1.8 APG vs 2.5 TOPG | 1.4 SPG | 0.6 BPG | 52.9% FG).

Those are a lot of mouths to feed, meaning somebody will eventually find themselves on the outside of the plans looking in. IF by some madness Sarr was determined to be that odd man out due to some bouts with injuries and streakiness thus far in two seasons, the Lakers brass would be wise to dial the digits of their front office executives. IF the Wizards would shake on a deal involving multiple picks + Deandre Ayton + Dalton Knecht, who in their right mind says no?

Lost amidst his team’s tanking efforts this year were Sarr’s significant strides on both ends. As previously noted, the livewire big man looked much more confident on the court as a sophomore: 48 GAMES | 48 STARTS | 27.2 MPG | 16.3 PPG | 7.4 RPG | 2.7 APG vs 1.7 TOPG | 2.0 BPG | 0.8 SPG | 48.2% FG | 33.3% 3FG | 69.2% FT. Imagining his potential in the pick + pop with Doncic and Reaves could be downright dirty. Plus he has the agility to cover a lot of ground rapidly on D, which would bode well for erasing any perimeter mistakes made at the point of attack.

3 = PEYTON WATSON | DENVER NUGGETS | 23 YRS | 6’8” | 200 LBS | SF-SG-PF

Of all names linked to the Lakers, it is safe to say that none have come up as often as Peyton Watson. The slender swingman is going to put Denver’s front office in some difficult decision-making situations very soon when it comes to the team’s wing budget. The Nuggets hold his full bird rights meaning they will have the peace of mind knowing they can match any offers from outside suitors, but unless they can find a trade partner for Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson and/or Christian Braun they could easily find themselves priced out of Watson’s range come July.

It is quite easy to envision PW’s versatile skillset as an energizer + growing offensive bag culminating in a top shelf fit flanking the wing throughout the Luka era. The signs of percolation grew progressively in abundance over his first three seasons, then came his full-fledged eruption throughout the regular season’s duration of Year #4. Unfortunately for Watson, his absence from all of Denver’s postseason games may have deemed him expendable among some of those that pondered whether he was truly missing games due to true ailments or simply to preserve his full value heading into the summer. That debacle might cost him a few figures upon finalizing his next contract.

Fortunately for Peyton Watson, players of his prototype are the most coveted personnel category in modern basketball: versatile 3&D wings. There is not another option in this summer’s free agent wing pantry who trumps Watson’s appeal amongst bidders. Those details in mind, something in the ballpark of 4 years x $130 million seems well-based for the potential Watson brings from both present + future lenses.

2 = KEL’EL WARE | MIAMI HEAT | 22 YRS | 7’0” | 250 LBS | C-PF

When you think about the type of traits of you want from your starting center in a lineup with Luka Doncic, the primary protocol would align with an athletic vertical threat who runs the floor and can cash in on easy lobs/dump-offs + deliver blistering screens + crash the glass offensively while simultaneously deterring rim dwellers, controlling the boards, and directing P&R traffic as the anchor of an effective defense.

Now take all of those core characteristics and sprinkle in some certified floor-spacing (39.5% on 3.0 triple tries/game this szn), and you will have all the makings of Kel’el Ware’s unicorn-esque game. Then consider the fact that Victor Wembanyama’s supreme reign of terror in the Western Conference will likely span across the next 10-15 years, and the idea of supplying Luka with his own personal slender-man to offset Wemby becomes all the more attractive.

To give you an idea of the broad scope of impact which Ware contributes, he struggled shooting (12 points on 5-12 overall x 2-8 from deep) but left his fingerprints all over the game in other avenues (19 rebounds x 4 assists vs 0 turnovers x 5 blocks) of the Heat’s season finale L versus Charlotte in the Play-In. Give Pat Riley whatever he wants for that level of versatility at the starting 5 position.

1 = AUSTIN REAVES | THE LAKESHOW | 28 YRS | 6’5” | 197 LBS | SG-PG

Barring any unforeseen obstacles, Austin Reaves will be back with the Lakers again when the offseason dust settles. Reports from recent days announced AR’s intent on obtaining the full 5 years x $241 million max deal his camp feels he deserves, although nearly $50 million/year seems a bit steep. That being said, Reaves has already received Luka’s public request for retainment. Thus, the Lakers front office finds themselves in a bit of a corner as they must now appease not one but two franchise cornerstones in this case.

The two sides will inevitably reach an agreement, but before putting the pen to any finalized paperwork Rob Pelinka must confirm Austin Reaves is worthy of a similar salary to the likes of Tyrese Haliburton ($48.9 milli next szn), Donovan Mitchell ($50.1 milli), Jamal Murray ($50.1 milli) and Cade Cunningham ($50.1 milli).