Nothing the Los Angeles Lakers do happens quietly, but one potential pitfall heading into the 2025–26 season remains overlooked: the team’s vulnerability in the middle.
As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin noted, L.A. is “soft in the middle” until proven otherwise. After coach JJ Redick moved away from Jaxson Hayes in last year’s first-round loss to Minnesota—limiting him to single-digit minutes in each game and benching him entirely in the finale—the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton to shore up the position.
Lakers Walk a Championship Tightrope Between Urgency and Long-Term Planning
Support Our Fight To End Fall Weddings
On paper, it’s a value play. Ayton, the 2018 No. 1 pick, came in on a two-year, $16.6 million deal after being bought out by Portland. He boasts career averages of 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and a 59% field-goal rate. But questions linger. Ayton hasn’t played in a truly high-stakes postseason game since 2023, when he missed an elimination contest with Phoenix due to a rib injury.
Depth behind him is shaky. Hayes returns as a backup, Maxi Kleber is still recovering from a significant foot injury, and Jarred Vanderbilt—often deployed as a small-ball center—has missed nearly 100 games over the past two seasons.
This positional uncertainty exists against a backdrop of immense pressure from two superstar timelines. Luka Doncic, fresh off his arrival in Los Angeles, has made it clear he isn’t here for a gradual build. According to The Athletic’s reporting, Doncic’s mindset is firmly “win now.” In his first stretch with the Lakers last season, he averaged 29.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists—numbers that speak to both his talent and his expectations.
On the other end is LeBron James, entering his record 23rd NBA season at age 40. James has opted into the final year of his contract, but speculation remains about whether he will finish his career in purple and gold. Agent Rich Paul has suggested LeBron’s future is open-ended, and teams like Miami could maneuver to make a run at him if both sides agree on a change before the trade deadline.
General manager Rob Pelinka is attempting to serve both agendas—competing now with Doncic in his prime while keeping financial flexibility for a major 2026 free-agency push. That’s why, despite outside calls to trade for defensive ace Andrew Wiggins, the Lakers have held back, wary of adding salary beyond next summer.
It’s a delicate balance: give Luka the roster that can raise banners today while honoring LeBron’s legacy and preserving cap space for the future. In Los Angeles, the margin for error is razor thin. One wrong move could cost them a title shot now—or a generational talent later.