Lakers Free Agency 2025 and Roster Holes

The Lakers are not favored to beat the OKC Thunder in a playoff setting, especially in the Western Conference Finals. So, let’s say that we face them in the WCF and lose in 7. It would be a devastation, but we would definitely be going hard in free agency. In this article, we will be addressing the holes in the roster and how we can fill them out.  

The Center Position: 

The center position has always been a glaring hole for the Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, we’ve had Anthony Davis at that spot for the last 4 years, and he played it particularly well. But even he knew that we needed another big to be our true defensive anchor. For years we have been looking at Myles Turner, fans have made every trade scenario possible, but we still do not have him. Fans and the FO have been looking at Walker Kessler. We were close to getting Kessler, but Danny Ainge, the Utah Jazz current GM, wanted what we felt like was too much for him. But then, after the Luka Doncic trade, we acquired 7-foot Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. The Lakers and Laker Nation had finally got what they wanted and were sure that the Lakers were bound to at least go to the finals with this new addition. But days later, it was announced that the trade was rescinded, leaving Lakers without a starting-caliber 5. Even though they are still competing greatly without a center, the need for one is still highly evident through numbers and the eye test. In my opinion, Jaxson Hayes has been a great starter, but his performance is still not enough to be the 5 of the future. They need an athletic, rim-protecting, and rebounding big man. Such as Nic Claxton, Myles Turner, and Jalen Duren. Some people think that the Lakers could go after Nikola Jokic in free agency of 2026, but in my opinion, Jokic and Doncic would not work well. Not because of their usage rate or their need for the ball, it is because of their speed. Teams that are athletic and fast such as the Houston Rockets, would take advantage of that. I say this because Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic both have the combined speed of a turtle. For that reason alone, Luka and Nikola would not be something that I would want. The best option would be to acquire Nic Claxton. We were trade Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber and a 2031 first round draft pick to get him.  

Defensive/ 3&D Two Guard: 

I think we should bench Austin Reaves and make him our sixth man. Reaves would provide shot creation and scoring off the bench. This claim is supported by his stats for when he was a sixth man and came off the bench for not a lot but multiple games in the 2023-24 season. Reaves provided electric scoring and now would also give you good shot creation for others. He would give teams something to worry about when they sub in their bench players.  

 Even though Reaves does play well next to Luka, I would still like to see a 3&d shooting guard next to him. That guy would mask the defense of Doncic and would overall make the Lakers better on defense. I think we should go after someone that is switchable and a bigger guard. For example, my preferred choice is Herb Jones from New Orleans. This year he is only 30% from deep, but he has also only played 20 games this season. But last year he shot 40% from 3 and his defense has never been in question. If he is too unattainable, we could also sign NAW (Nickeil Alexander-Walker) from the Minnesota Timberwolves. He would be a great addition and, in my opinion, should replace Austin Reaves in the starting lineup.  

Depth:  

This roster may be enough for now, but in the playoffs it can become worrying. I am not doubting this team as they are very talented, but it is a worry of mine. Starting off with center depth. The only real center that JJ plays is Jaxson Hayes. And rightfully so, since our best lineup is the small ball lineup. But it is still concerning to only play one center. Our depth chart at the center position includes Jaxson Hayes, Trey Jemison, Christian Koloko, and Alex Len. Two out of those four players are on two-way contracts and Alex Len is not a good fit for us because of the way he utilizes his skill set. The second and third worst position in terms of depth in my opinion is the point guard/shooting guard position. We have Shake Milton, Bronny James, and Gabe Vincent in these positions (excluding starters). On paper, this is not something that I would be intimidated by if I were a team such as the OKC Thunder or the Boston Celtics. Only one of those 3 players that I listed is playable in the playoffs let alone the regular season. To conclude, I think this is one of the most subpar depth charts by an NBA Finals contender this year. 

Conclusion: 

In this writing, I wanted to address what are in my opinion, the two biggest holes in the roster and some rumors. If we can fill them out, we are definitely championship contenders not only this season but in the upcoming years if it is done correctly. There are definitely moves we could do to make this roster better but for now it will do the job, and it will potentially win a championship this year. What do you think?