Shaq Says Lakers Won’t be Contenders for Devastating Reason

"They're gonna be like this for a while," O'Neal said. "They're not gonna make any moves this summer."

That pessimism seems somewhat unwarranted.

Team president Rob Pelinka generally relishes dealmaking, as evinced by his decision to blow up his roster just ahead of the trade deadline to pair 21-time All-Star forward LeBron James with five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Doncic.

Pelinka has made similarly massive moves in the summers of 2019 (when he acquired Anthony Davis and totally reconfigured the roster, en route to the 2020 title) and 2021 (when he offloaded much of his championship core for an aging Russell Westbrook, and missed the playoffs), plus the midway point of the 2022-23 (when he re-balanced the roster, salvaging L.A.'s season and helping lead the club to the West Finals).

Forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who earned a starting role in Game 5 as head coach JJ Redick went small-ball, has a $15.4 million player option for 2025-26. Former starting center Jaxson Hayes, who was demoted to accommodate Finney-Smith, is a restricted free agent.

Vets like Jarred Vanderbilt (owed $11.6 million next year), Gabe Vincet ($11.5 million), and Maxi Kleber ($11 million) are all on tradeable deals, and the Lakers have already exhibited a willingness to trade rookie first round draft pick Dalton Knecht.

James has a $52.6 million player option for 2025-26, while Doncic becomes max extension-eligible this summer.

A lot can change this offseason for the Lakers. The team clearly needs a center upgrade, and it has the draft equity (two future first round draft picks) and movable contracts to find someone.

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In the Lakers' closeout game, James finished with 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 shooting from the foul line, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals across 40 minutes.

He had no lift in the fourth quarter, scoring just five points on 2-of-7 shooting from the floor. Still, that performance was better than his abysmal fourth-quarter showing in Game 4, during which James scored a whopping zero points.

Doncic, playing with a bad back in the second half, seemed similarly exhausted as the game wrapped up and L.A.'s hopes of extending the series faded away. The 6-foot-6 superstar guard scored a team-most 28 points on just 7-of-18 shooting from the floor (2-of-8 from distance) and 12-of-15 shooting from the free throw line, nine assists, seven rebounds, and a steal.

Forward Rui Hachimura scored 23 points on an efficient 9-of-16 shooting from the field (5-of-8 from distance), while shooting guard Austin Reaves had an underwhelming 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the floor.

Head coach JJ Redick completely benched free agent-to-be Jaxson Hayes, who was a healthy scratch in Game 5 after not even playing five minutes in Game 4. Instead, Maxi Kleber, making his Lakers debut in a potential closeout playoff game, was the only traditional center to get any run. He played 4:57 off the bench, scoring two points off two free throws.

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The Timberwolves obliterated the Lakers in the paint.

Four-time Defensive Player of the Year center Rudy Gobert feasted on the Lakers' lack of an interior presence, notching a 27-point, 24-rebound double-double, plus two blocks.

Although three-time All-Star swingman Anthony Edwards did log a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double (along with eight assists and three steals), he didn't have an efficient shooting night, going just 5-of-19 from the floor and missing all 11 of his 3-point looks.

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