10 greatest offseason acquisitions in Lakers history, ranked

Despite a colorful playoff past with Kobe Bryant, the Lakers signed Metta World Peace during the 2009 offseason. Adjusting to the Purple and Gold wasn’t smooth sailing at first. In fact, the 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year nearly asked for a trade in the midst of the 2009-10 season. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, and MWP stuck it out with the team. He played an instrumental role for the 2010 Lakers championship team, capped off by his 20-point outing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

9. Anthony Davis – 2019

With the arrival of LeBron James in Los Angeles, the team had to make a choice, whether to stick with their young guns or to trade them for a superstar. In the end, the Lakers shipped away its young talent of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart for All-Star big man Anthony Davis.

He ended up becoming the perfect running mate to James. The 6-foot-10 center anchored the defense and was a reliable force on offense, helping the Purple and Gold capture the 2020 NBA championship inside the bubble. Three years later, Davis was also a part of the Lakers team that won the first-ever NBA Cup.

8. James Worthy – 1982

Los Angeles certainly pulled off a sneaky trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers that allowed them to get the 1982 first overall pick of the draft. The Lakers used this very pick to select James Worthy. He helped the Showtime Lakers win three NBA championships, with the 1988 run crowning him as the Finals MVP.

7. Wilt Chamberlain – 1968

Fresh from winning his fourth NBA MVP and first NBA title, the Lakers swiped Wilt Chamberlain away from the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1968 summer. The Lakers sent Darrell Imhoff, Archie Clark, and Jerry Chambers to acquire the player who once dropped 100 points in a single game. In the end, it was all worth it. Chamberlain carried the Purple and Gold on his back en route to the 1972 NBA championship, where he was crowned Finals MVP.

6. LeBron James – 2018

Life after Kobe Bryant was ultimately hard for the Lakers. But during the 2018 offseason, things got a little brighter when the Lakers successfully lured LeBron James to Los Angeles as a free agent. While James’ Lakers tenure has drawn mixed reactions, he did bring an NBA title to the Lakers in 2020 as the Finals MVP and led Los Angeles to its first NBA Cup title with him crowned as the tournament’s inaugural MVP.

5. Jerry West – 1960

Another draft pick the Lakers benefitted from was Jerry West, who was taken second overall at the 1960 NBA Draft. West played all of his years with the Purple and Gold. As the face of the franchise, he led Los Angeles to nine Finals appearances with one championship. West was also the first-ever Finals MVP in league history and the only one to take the award from the losing team.

4. Magic Johnson – 1979

Speaking of draft picks, the last time the Lakers capitalized on a lottery pick was back in 1979, when they used the first overall pick to select Magic Johnson. He went on to become the face of the Showtime Lakers era. In the process, he became one of the most influential players of the game that helped basketball grow to what it is today. Johnson won five NBA titles and three Finals MVPs with Los Angeles.

3. Kareem Abdul -Jabbar – 1975

After growing frustrated with the Milwaukee Bucks, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wanted out during the 1975 season. As a result, the Lakers offered Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Meyers to get the services of Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley. The NBA’s second all-time leading scorer spent his final 14 seasons with the Lakers, helping them capture six NBA titles.

2. Kobe Bryant – 1996

In a sneaky draft-day trade, the Lakers made a deal with the Hornets, swapping All-Star center Vlade Divac for the 13th pick of the 1996 NBA Draft, Kobe Bryant. The move turned out to be one of the most lopsided trades in league history. Charlotte continues to search for their first championship banner, while Bryant helped the Lakers capture five NBA titles. He was a part of the three-peat Lakers before leading Los Angeles to a back-to-back run of his own to end the 2000s decade.

1. Shaquille O’Neal – 1996

Shaquille O’Neal grew unhappy with the Orlando Magic, and when the team offered him a subpar contract, the Big Diesel decided to test free agency. With Shaq growing to be an elite center, the Lakers locked him up to a lucrative seven-year deal worth $121 million. Luring the biggest free agent, literally, paid dividends for the Purple and Gold in the end. Shaq was the face of the three-peat, proving to be an unstoppable force down low.