The Los Angeles Lakers were poised to be one of the biggest players in the free agency and trade markets this offseason. With several expiring contracts, the Purple and Gold were bound to boast enough cap flexibility to build a stronger roster for the 2026-27 season. Unfortunately, this appears to have backfired in some capacity.
The Los Angeles Lakers were likely to see over half of their active roster hit free agency this summer, a concerning position to be in considering that most of these players were either starters or rotation pieces.
Here’s a list of the players who could have entered free agency this offseason:
– LeBron James
– Austin Reaves
– Marcus Smart
– Luke Kennard
– Rui Hachimura
– Deandre Ayton
– Maxi Kleber
– Jaxson Hayes
– Nick Smith Jr.
There was some optimism that the Purple and Gold would bring back some of these assets. To that point, the Purple and Gold have delivered. However, when looking at the list of players who are likely to depart, the current landscape isn’t as promising.
Players Who Are Leaving The Lakers:
– LeBron James:Â Decided to leave the Lakers in an unprecedented move right as the free agency window opened.
– Luke Kennard:Â Has parted ways with the Purple and Gold after signing a two-year, $13 million deal with the Phoenix Suns.
– Nick Smith Jr.: Isn’t expected to return to the Lakers after the franchise declined the $2.5 million team option.
– Maxi Kleber:Â Is expected to leave the NBA in pursuit of opportunities in Europe.
– Rui Hachimura:Â Expected to leave the Lakers this offseason to join the San Antonio Spurs.
– Marcus Smart:Â Is garnering significant interest from the Houston Rockets after declining a $5.4 million player option. Update: Marcus Smart reportedly signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Houston Rockets shortly after this post was published.
Of the nine players who could have hit free agency, Los Angeles has already seen five depart. Among these, the most noteworthy exit is LeBron James. With the superstar informing the team that he would not be returning for the 2026-27 season, James marked an end to his eight-year-long tenure with the Purple and Gold.
Aside from James, another major loss to the Lakers’ roster is Luke Kennard. After being acquired via trade with the Atlanta Hawks, Kennard quickly positioned himself as a key contributor in the rotation. Following some spectacular performances in the playoffs (11.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 47.4% 3P), it seemed likely that Los Angeles would retain the three-point specialist. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case.
The departure of Nick Smith Jr. and Maxi Kleber was largely expected. Still, Marcus Smart‘s move to the Rockets, along with the possibility of Rui Hachimura leaving, should raise some alarms.
Smart and Hachimura played a vital role in the main rotation. Smart’s contributions as the defensive anchor and Hachimura’s reliability as a perimeter threat (11.5 PPG, 44.3% 3P) were key factors in the Lakers’ regular-season success. Now, with Hachimura also likely to leave, the Purple and Gold’s depth looks thin.
Players Who Chose To Stay With The Lakers
– Austin Reaves:Â Signed a four-year, $185 million deal.
– Deandre Ayton: Opted into his $8.1 million contract for the 2026-27 season.
Of the aforementioned players, the Lakers have technically brought back only one – Austin Reaves. For the most part, bringing Reaves back was a key move for the Purple and Gold this offseason. In light of his development over the 2025-26 season, where he averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, Los Angeles saw enough reason to invest in retaining him as the ideal co-star next to Luka Doncic.
Aside from Reaves, the Lakers will also see Deandre Ayton retain his roster spot for the 2026-27 season after opting into his contract. While his performance last season was rather underwhelming, given that he posted 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on 67.1% shooting from the field, the Purple and Gold may see value in having at least one center at their disposal going into the remainder of the offseason.
Players The Lakers Could Bring Back
– Jaxson Hayes: Remains undecided in free agency.
– Drew Timme:Â Is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Although the Lakers have missed out on several of their free agent players this summer, the team can still look to bring some players back. Given the need for depth in the big man rotation, both Jaxson Hayes and Drew Timme could be great low-cost additions to solidify the frontcourt.
Hayes served as a reliable center off the bench for significant portions of the regular season. While he wasn’t the most consistent defensive presence, Hayes provided solid rebounding and rim-running, routinely outplaying his $3.4 million contract.
With averages of 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, it can be argued that Hayes is worth another short-term deal worth roughly $4 million per year. Considering how the Lakers’ search for a star-caliber big man is going, adding a rotation piece like Hayes may be necessary.
Along with the Hayes, the Purple and Gold may see the value in re-signing Drew Timme to a two-year deal this summer. The former Gonzaga forward earned himself a two-way contract with the Lakers last season. Although this wasn’t converted into a full contract, the Lakers may see value in bringing Timme back to add bench depth.
Although he averaged only 3.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 27 NBA appearances last season, Timme shot 57.6% from the field. While these figures may be outliers, Timme’s G League averages of 23.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game on 56.3% shooting from the floor are intriguing.
As things stand, Los Angeles has only seven active players on its roster. As a team that is roughly $35 million under the salary cap and $71 million under the tax line, the Lakers have considerable flexibility to make new signings. But given the state of the market, the Purple and Gold may be forced to embrace an aggressive approach.
