The 2026 NBA offseason was supposed to be huge for the Los Angeles Lakers as the team finally committed to building around franchise star Luka Doncic through free agency and the trade market. However, the Lakers failed to land a majority of the top names that were available and at some point linked to them this offseason.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson, Peyton Watson, Jonathan Kuminga, Bruce Brown, even LeBron James, and more available NBA players, whether in free agency or a trade, were all potential stars to join the Lakers this summer, but as the 2026 offseason comes to a close, Los Angeles is entering the season with none of them on the roster.
After failing to hit on nearly all of the Lakers’ top free agent and trade targets, the franchise was recently put on blast for turning what was expected to be an exciting and eventful offseason into one that saw them build a middling roster around one of the best players in the world, Doncic.
So, what went wrong?
Lakers Slammed For ‘Shocking’ Offseason Without Landing Top Free Agents And Trade Targets
Writing for the New York Post, Melissa Rohlin wondered aloud why the Lakers were linked to so many big names but failed to land nearly every single one of them.
“Why aren’t players clamoring to join the Lakers, as they have in past seasons?” she asked. “Why wasn’t Los Angeles at the top of Antetokounmpo’s list? Imagine him playing alongside Dončić. Why did Kuminga take less money to join the Timberwolves? His athleticism and perimeter defense could’ve really helped the Lakers.”
Not just those two, but Thompson, Watson, Brown, James, and many more names were linked to the Lakers at some point this summer, but Rob Pelinka and the front office failed to land any of them. Los Angeles did make other roster changes, but it wasn’t the big moves everyone was expecting to build a title-contending squad around Doncic.
Reflecting on the summer, Rohlin intimated that a few key issues could have played a role in the big names avoiding Los Angeles.
“There’s a larger question to be raised. Why aren’t players clamoring to join the Lakers, as they have in past seasons?” she asked again. “Did the Lakers’ treatment of James at the end of his career give other players’ pause, especially considering the team’s past history of revering their superstars? Did the team’s transition from James to Dončić make other players want to see how things play out before buying in? Did the Lakers being sold twice in 14 months make other players feel iffy about coming to Los Angeles? Did the Buss family drama impact things?”
Rohlin continued: “There was a lot going on around the Lakers this offseason. So much change. So many shocking moments. Maybe players simply wanted to join an organization where they stood to make more money down the line. Maybe they just didn’t feel comfortable joining the Lakers, who are clearly undergoing multiple major transitions.”
They could have given more money to guys like Kuminga and Watson than what the two ultimately signed for. Still, perhaps the internal instability, or another factor, was the reason the Lakers seemingly missed out on every top free agent target and the names heavily linked back to them in trade rumors.
It’s not to say the Lakers didn’t make any big offseason moves, but shockingly, they didn’t on any of the types of players that usually end up in Los Angeles.
The trend appeared to start this summer, and though it might have been a one-time thing, it could be a warning sign for one of the most storied franchises in the NBA and could be the start of their fall as a top destination in the league.
All Of The Offseason Roster Changes In LA
As Rohlin mentioned, the Lakers did make two huge offseason decisions in the form of Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler.
“Sure, the Lakers were hamstrung monetarily after re-signing Austin Reaves to a four-year, $180 million deal, the richest contract for a player who went undrafted in NBA history,” she wrote. “And they emptied their treasure trove for Walker Kessler, whom they acquired via a sign-and-trade from Utah on a four-year, $130 million deal, including giving up first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.”
However, those two moves could have, and likely did, hinder the team’s ability to go after other big names. There’s some truth in the fact that the Lakers made these moves because no other big star was interested in coming to town, but at the same time, it’s tough to see how the most famous basketball team on the planet couldn’t land any of the top free agents and trade targets they were rumored to be landing spots for all chose to play somewhere else.
Instead, the Lakers build around the edges, bringing in a ton of supporting players on multi-year deals rather than a top available superstar, or even a semi-big name. The team did have several important players from last year’s roster hit free agency, but nearly all of them left, leaving the franchise with a completely new-look team heading into the 2026-27 season.
For the sake of clarity, here are all the Lakers’ offseason roster changes this summer, per NBA.com:
Re-signings: Austin Reaves (four-year deal)
Additions: Quentin Grimes (four-year deal), Jaden Hardy, Walker Kessler (four-year deal), Kevon Looney (one-year deal), Sandro Mamukelashvili (four-year deal), Collin Sexton (two-year deal), Matisse Thybulle (one-year deal), and Ziaire Williams (one-year deal)
Departures: Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, LeBron James, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart
But despite not being able to bring in any top targets for seemingly the first time in franchise history, Doncic and the rest of the players on the roster have expressed confidence heading into the season.
It’s hard to tell how all the changes will impact the team’s success this upcoming season, but at the same time, it would be a lot easier to have confidence in this group if Antetokounmpo or another star were added to the roster.
Things could be changing as it relates to Los Angeles as a top free agency destination, and something will have to change for the trend noticed this summer to not be repeated in the following years. If that does become the case, the Lakers should be ready to say goodbye to Doncic, because this doesn’t feel like the championship roster he was promised.
Lakers Slammed For ‘Shocking’ Offseason As Free Agents, Trade Targets Avoid LA