Lakers Need This Final Piece to Cement Championship Push amid NBA Free Agency Rumors
The 2025 NBA offseason delivered a number of stunners.
The Los Angeles Lakers were involved in none of them—well, not unless you count the trade speculation around LeBron James—and that's OK.
This roster was already close to championship contention when it entered the offseason. That's one of the perks of having both Luka Dončić and LeBron James, a pairing that posted a .652 winning percentage over 23 games in the regular season, on the same roster.
The Lakers perhaps could have pushed harder for upgrades, but they still subtly addressed needs, anyway. Filling their interior void with Deandre Ayton could prove a stroke of genius if the former No. 1 pick pushes closer to his full potential. Their early investment in Jake LaRavia scratched an itch for more spacers. They traded up on draft night to land Adou Thiero with the No. 36 pick, checking necessary boxes for athleticism and versatile defense on the perimeter.
Those are all small—but smart—steps toward completing this group's championship puzzle. And if they can pull off one more of these sneaky-good additions, they might really be in business.
Per Clutch Points' Brett Siegel, the Lakers are "actively looking" for another perimeter defender. It's an area the franchise admitted it needed to upgrade going into the summer.
"I think just in terms of solidifying our defensive core on the wing and just making sure we have players that can defend the wing position, that's an essential need," president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka told reporters in his exit interview. "... Any time you can upgrade your defensive core on the perimeter, I think that's going to help."
That's basically what steered L.A. toward Thiero, a player Pelinka said has the blueprint of becoming "one of those really elite, physical, athletic wings that are so necessary to winning in the league."
Hopes are clearly high for Thiero, but immediate expectations should always be kept in check for a rookie second-rounder. And even if he bucks the trend and hits the ground running, it's not like L.A. should feel content with having added one stopper to this perimeter group. A roster featuring Dončić, Austin Reaves and a 40-year-old James can use all the defensive protection it can get.
That's why it makes sense for the Lakers to still be poking around for a perimeter stopper.
Siegel mentioned the possibility of a trade, and that's certainly an area worth exploring. Andrew Wiggins felt like an obvious fit before word got out that the Miami Heat might want too much in return. Still, whether it's Wiggins or a player like him, the potential impact would be great enough to warrant a not insignificant investment.
Free agency has mostly dried up, but there are still players worth an eyeball or two. De'Anthony Melton is a dynamic defender when healthy. Gary Payton II is an on-ball pest with championship experience. Amir Coffey isn't a lockdown defender, but he offers versatility and usually knows where to be.
The point is, there are still options out there, and the Lakers are smart for exploring all of them.
The front office has quietly done decent work adding support players where they were needed. A high-quality defender on the perimeter could be the perfect finishing touch to this summer of subtlety, which just might get this group on the championship path.
