The Los Angeles Lakers have a rare opportunity with LeBron James and Luka Dončić on the same team. They’ve actually done a pretty solid job building a better team around those two this offseason, and on paper, there’s an opportunity to strike while the iron is hot.
They could trade some of the other players on their roster for a potential upgrade. However, they shouldn’t do it just because. They should only do it if they know they’ve got something better on the table.
Los Angeles Lakers Refusing to Put Two Players on the Table
Athlon Sports’ Sean Deveney revealed that the Lakers feel pretty set with where they are, which means players like Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt are staying put. At least for the time being
“Still, the feeling around the Lakers is that the team is pretty much set as it is, and that no major trades are forthcoming until the season gets rolling,” Deveny wrote. “The Lakers have had opportunities to include the likes of Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade packages already, but have declined to do so.”
A Western Conference executive explained to Deveney why the Lakers are operating like that.
“They have not been attacking the trade market by any stretch of the imagination,” the executive told Deveney. “Most teams now are in a sort-of wait-and-see mode, and I would include the Lakers in that. They want to give it some time before they make a trade.”
The Lakers have had opportunities to include the likes of Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade packages already, but have declined to do so, per @SeanDeveney
“Still, the feeling around the Lakers is that the team is pretty much set as it is, and that no major trades are… pic.twitter.com/20mMMZc2v3
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 11, 2025
Last season, the Lakers underwent significant changes when they swapped Anthony Davis for Dončić. Now they will get to see what the team looks like with Dončić for a full season (not to mention with a slimmed-down figure).
If the team starts the season underwhelming, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Vincent and/or Vanderbilt are back on the table. If they are meeting expectations or potentially exceeding them, there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken. At the same time, again, if an upgrade is available and could be had for the Lakers, then making a deal might not be terrible.
MORE: NBA Analyst Reveals the Biggest Problem With LeBron James’ Trade Situation Amid Rumors of a Rift With Lakers
This will be a season of mixing and matching for the Lakers. They have two of the NBA’s top ten players on the roster. That is quite the luxury, so the team has to be smart about this, and now it’s been confirmed what they believe is the smartest strategy.
Whether they will be proven right or not is the real question.