Los Angeles Lakers ‘Have Not Been Attacking the Trade Market’

The Los Angeles Lakers “have not been attacking the trade market” this offseason, according to an NBA executive who spoke to Sean Deveney of Athlon Sports.

It appears Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka will not make a trade this offseason. He hasn’t made an offseason trade since 2022, when he traded Stanley Johnson and Talen Horton-Tucker to the Utah Jazz for Patrick Beverley.

“They have not been attacking the trade market by any stretch of the imagination,” a Western Conference executive told Deveney. “Most teams now are in a sort of wait-and-see mode, and I would include the Lakers in that. They want to give it some time before they make a trade.”

The Lakers lost Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets on the first day of free agency and signed Jake LaRavia, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart. Luka Dončić recruited Ayton and Smart, while Austin Reaves recruited LaRavia.

Los Angeles lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games despite having Dončić, LeBron James and home-court advantage. The team desperately needed a center, which is why Dončić recruited Ayton after the Portland Trail Blazers and Ayton agreed to a buyout.

Lakers second-year head coach JJ Redick is expected to start Dončić, Reaves, Rui Hachimura, James and Ayton next season. James, 40, turns 41 in December. He’s the oldest active player in the NBA. The future Hall of Famer will make $52.6 million next season in the final year of his contract.

James facetimed Dončić to congratulate him on his extension with the Lakers, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Dončić and James played 23 games together last season. Los Angeles went 15–8.

Dončić averaged 27.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists next to James, who averaged 23.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists alongside Dončić.