​The 2024 summer has been a whirlwind for the Los Angeles Lakers. After learning that LeBron James would not be returning to the franchise following eight seasons, the team redirected its focus toward addressing its roster needs. Expectations had been sky-high for what LA could accomplish after reportedly wooing Doncic with grand plans for the 2026 offseason. But with most of the moves now in the books, a chorus of skepticism surrounds the ceiling of this new-look roster.
When James opted to seek greener pastures, the Lakers led the league in cap space, possessing roughly $52 million to spend. In the end, though, re-signing Austin Reaves and adding rim-protecting center Walker Kessler consumed a large portion of their resources. The result was a roster built around a mix of depth pieces and veteran talent: Collin Sexton, Jaden Hardy, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Kevon Looney. The structure—an experienced core backed by a star-studded backcourt and a big man who can anchor the paint—seems to mirror the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks.
That Mavericks squad also had Doncic at the helm but was swept in five games by the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals. Since then, the Western Conference has grown even more formidable. In light of that, the Lakers’ current setup might not be the ideal blueprint for success they envisioned.
This is the frame FS1’s Nick Wright uses to critique the team’s direction. While he has long praised the Slovenian superstar, he expressed concern about how the Lakers have constructed their roster around Doncic. “I don’t look at it as they are building a team for Luka. I look at it as they just built their team for Luka, and that’s what it’s going to be,” Wright said on Thursday’s edition of “First Things First.” “They are not going to, over the next few transaction cycles, have cap space or draft picks to trade.”
Wright’s point extended beyond the optics of one season. He questioned whether the revamped Lakers have done enough to become legitimate contenders in a daunting Western Conference led by two juggernauts—the Spurs and the Thunder. “So this team, I understand it doesn’t have to be good enough this year ’cause they can get better. But the way they will get better is little, tiny things around the edges, and players improving,” Wright continued. “It’s not, ‘We have another big move coming.’ And that concerns me.”
Even if Doncic remains MVP-caliber and capable of carrying a team, the Lakers are unlikely to topple the conference’s top two clubs. After parting with much of their draft capital, their flexibility is limited, reducing the likelihood of bold, game-changing moves in the near future. While the roster may keep them competitive every night, they don’t stand out as the cream of the NBA crop, which could hurt their visibility and brand appeal—an issue that matters for SEO and market intrigue as much as for on-court performance. As it stands, the Lakers possess depth and a reasonable ceiling, but one that might not reach the championship echelon many expected when LeBron’s era began to wind down.