This summer, the Lakers added Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart to their roster, which will certainly help bolster their wing depth.
Adding wings was clearly a focal point for Los Angeles. They said LaRavia was their first call during free agency, and bringing in Smart and drafting fellow wing Adou Thiero are all indicators that the Lakers want as many quality players in that position as possible.
However, everyone they added has flaws and is far from a perfect option.
LaRavia has yet to establish himself
as a consistently dependable impact player. Smart is a great defender, but aging and has missed many games the last two seasons. Thiero is a rookie.
So, it’s not surprising that in his latest newsletter, NBA insider Marc Stein has stated that the Lakers are still looking for wings they can trade for.
What is an interesting revelation, however, is the Lakers appearing to be more willing to take on long-term contracts to acquire a wing that can help them win now.
As I understand it: The Lakers’ reluctance in the early stages of the offseason to consider trades for contracts that stretch beyond the 2025-26 season has thawed somewhat.
I don’t think that means they’ll swing a deal for just anyone between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but league sources say L.A. would indeed have interest in adding a two-way swingman who can raise their ceiling.
From the Lakers’ perspective, to take on long-term contracts, the player they are acquiring would likely have to be the missing piece needed to make Los Angeles a title contender.
That type of player is hard to trade for and would likely have multiple teams interested.
Still, making trades to improve the team is the job the Lakers’ front office has and it’s good to hear that they are willing to execute that kind of deal if it becomes possible.
Again, it takes two teams to trade, so we’ll see if that level of wing ends up on the market and if the asking price makes sense.
Stein mentioned in his newsletter that Andrew Wiggins could be a good option if made available, and he’s been connected to the Lakers before this offseason.
In July, reports surfaced that the Heat had a high asking price for Wiggins, along with other rumors suggesting that the Lakers weren’t very interested in the 11-year veteran.
However, things can quickly change in the NBA.
If the Lakers still feel they need an upgrade in their wing position once the season begins, you can always contact the Heat or any other team for that matter and try to get a deal done.
One thing that’s almost certain to be true is that the Lakers will not have the same team for the entire 2025-26 season.
We’ll see if the changes are marginal or if Los Angeles will make another big move that shakes up their roster and gets them closer to their title aspirations.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
