It is not totally uncommon for a hopeful championship contender to still be facing roster questions with the start of a new season less than one month away. But considering all the moves the Los Angeles Lakers made this offseason, let’s just say it is a bit of a bummer that the team still has glaring roster weaknesses.
Not only does L.A. have a bit of a roster squeeze, but it also has questions at the starting power forward and backup center positions. General manager Rob Pelinka deserves recognition for not sitting still this offseason, but it’ll still irk some fans that he hasn’t acquired someone who would be a slam-dunk starting option.
That noted, the new season doesn’t start for a few more weeks, which means that the Lakers still have time to make some moves. It isn’t practical to expect a needle-moving trade, but Pelinka did mention that a deal to make the Lakers roster-compliant isn’t off the table, adding “there’s a number of ways that could be addressed.”
Lakers’ Recently-Added Guard Named Top Candidate to Be Traded
In July, the Lakers shipped big man Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for sharpshooting guard Jaden Hardy and a pair of second round picks. Interestingly, the already center-deficient Lakers chose to swap a big man for another guard. But it doesn’t appear that the Lakers are too keen on retaining Hardy. According to ClutchPoints’ David Yapkowitz, Hardy is the No. 1 candidate to be traded ahead of the 2026-27 season.
“Hardy’s main attraction for potential trade partners is his expiring contract,” Yapkowitz wrote. “He’s under contract for this season, and then he has a team option on his deal for 2027-28. Aside from that, perhaps another team might want to take a flyer on a relatively young guard who can provide instant offense off the bench, but not much else. In any case, he doesn’t appear to be long for LA whether it’s a trade, or declining his option at the end of the year if they can’t move him.”
Hardy, 24, has demonstrated potential as a rotation piece over his still-young NBA career, but with the Lakers already possessing plenty of options in the backcourt, Hardy figures to be one of the few odd men out.
There is still ongoing speculation that the Lakers may look to hang on to their remaining assets and simply waive one player. Hardy, along with Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, are names mentioned as potential candidates to be waived.
L.A. Looked to Move on From Hardy
According to Heavy NBA insider Sean Deveney, Hardy is someone the Lakers tried to move, especially after the team was unable to strike a deal with the Atlanta Hawks for forward Jonathan Kuminga.
“The Lakers need to drop a player, and Hardy is a good candidate if they can find a taker,” Deveney wrote. “Using him in a Jonathan Kuminga deal was their dream scenario, but now they just want to be rid of him.”
Although Hardy has expressed he is “super excited” to be a Laker and reunite with old pal Luka Doncic, there is real possibility that he either gets waived or traded before the Lakers’ regular season tips off in late October.
Lakers Expected to Move on From 40% 3-Point Shooter After GM Hints at Trade