With Luka Doncic as centerpiece, Lakers need to prioritize these areas

The Lakers’ priority of building a roster that better fits around superstar Luka Doncic is obvious. 

It was a talking point last summer. It has been again entering this offseason, which is the first summer they’ll have the salary and roster flexibility to construct a team around Doncic that best fits his needs. 

And there are multiple avenues and opportunities for the Lakers to do so. 

There’s the NBA draft in four weeks. Then free agency officially starts the following week. And that’s before getting into players who’ll be available on the trade or buyout markets. 

The franchise is undergoing internal “reconstruction,” which includes the hiring of new assistant general manager Rohan Ramadas and upgrades to the practice facility. 

But roster-wise, several areas can be improved to give them a better shot at playing deeper into the playoffs.

What areas should the Lakers prioritize when it comes to their roster construction this offseason?

Rim protection 

When asked what areas the Lakers could improve for 2026-27, coach JJ Redick immediately pointed to defense.

He noted that while the Lakers showed flashes of being a good defensive team — including ranking 12th in defensive rating (113.1) during their final 42 games — they need to be better than the league’s No. 20 defense overall.

That starts with protecting the rim better. 

The only team that allowed a worse shooting percentage within 4 feet of the basket during the regular season than the Lakers was the Jazz, who had one of the league’s worst defenses the entire season. 

Through coverages and schemes — including their defensive shifts and presence in driving lanes — the Lakers did well preventing teams from getting shots up near the rim (30.9% frequency — No. 13). 

But their problem was that when opponents took a shot near the rim, they converted at a 71.5% rate, which ranked 29th, just ahead of the Jazz’s 72.5% (No. 30).

Part of the Lakers’ problem was that some of their most frequent rim defenders were guards who don’t excel at protecting the basket (Doncic, Austin Reaves). 

Some of this is a byproduct of the Lakers’ switching defense. Or their defensive perimeter containment —or lack of it — allowed easier shots at the rim.

But there’s also the reality that the Lakers lack quality rim protection throughout their roster. 

This needs to be addressed.

Starting center

This ties into rim protection but has been a priority since the Lakers traded for Doncic in February 2025.

Deandre Ayton outperformed his contract with the Lakers and was a reason they had their success early in the season, during their stretch in March and in the first-round playoff series victory over the Rockets.

But the fit between him and Doncic was clunky at times. 

And there was inconsistency on Ayton’s part in being what the Lakers needed/wanted from him and what he wanted to be. 

Figuring out a long-term fit at starting center is a must for the Lakers.

Especially considering how that’s been emphasized since Doncic joined the team and the high-caliber big men in the Western Conference (Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Chet Holmgren). 

Depth

One of the Lakers’ biggest deficiencies over the last few seasons has been their lack of quality depth, especially at the Nos. 10-15 spots on the roster. 

Whether it’s through player development and acquiring undervalued players, they need more guys they can rely on if they want to expand the rotation at points during the season or need guys to play more minutes than normal because of injury.

That’s been one of the foundations of success for the Thunder and even the Spurs to an extent.

It’s time for the Lakers to make progress in catching up in that regard.