What the Los Angeles Lakers can do this offseason
- ›Outside free agents can only be added on minimum deals — its cap room and exceptions are already spent or dead for the year.
- ›Operated under the cap this July (used its Room MLE), so the non-taxpayer MLE and bi-annual exception are dead for the season (Art. VII §6(n)).
- ›Hard-capped at the first apron — triggered by the Walker Kessler sign-and-trade, so it can't cross that line the rest of the season.
- ›Draft capital: 2 extra incoming picks, owes 12.
CapTax1A2A
Minimum$3.9M
Projected record
52-30
Projected net rating
+5.6
Current baseline
52 wins · +5.6 net
Full standings · models the position-aware rotation, a real-age aging curve, perimeter defense, and a bounded penalty for a structural hole; a talent-on-hand projection, not a full-season forecast (no coaching or playoff translation).
Team profile · on-court identity + fit
Offense
B
58
Defense
B
61
Spacing
B+
65
Playmaking
D
32
Rim protection
A-
73
Perimeter D
B+
64
Rebounding
B-
53
Spacing +2.3Defensive core +2.2Two-way balance +1.2Defense +1.1Connectors +1.1Thin playmaking -1.1
Grades are minutes-weighted from the projected rotation; the chips are the fit read — how much each strength or gap is worth in net rating, on top of raw talent. Dimensions come from each player’s real 2025-26 box profile. Injuries are real reported facts, factored into projected minutes.
Projected rotation · minutes by position, best players first
PGPoint
91Luka DončićST27y36m
59Austin Reaves28y10m
57Matisse Thybulle29y2m
SGShooting
59Austin ReavesST28y24m
52Collin Sexton28y14m
57Matisse Thybulle29y10m
SFSmall F
48Jake LaRaviaST25y19m
48Quentin Grimes26y15m
52Collin Sexton28y10m
57Matisse Thybulle29y4m
PFPower F
60Sandro MamukelashviliST27y4m
54Walker Kessler25y1m
48Jake LaRavia25y6m
48Jarred Vanderbilt27y17m
50Kevon Looney30y15m
47Adou Thiero22y6m
CCenter
54Walker KesslerST25y30m
60Sandro Mamukelashvili27y18m
Out of rotation · no projected minutes in the 240-a-night budget
45Dalton Knecht44Ziaire Williams44Cameron Carr42Bronny James39Jaden Hardy
Projected minutes from the position-aware rotation model: five on-court spots share a fixed 240-minute-a-night budget, best players first, with versatile players (their secondary spot shown on hover) sliding to a second position. ST = projected starter. Not a coach’s actual rotation.
Roster (16)
91PGLuka Dončić$49.8M
59SGAustin ReavesNO-TRADE$41.2M
54CWalker KesslerNO-TRADE$30.1M
48SGQuentin GrimesNO-TRADE$14.0M
48PFJarred Vanderbilt$12.4M
60CSandro MamukelashviliNO-TRADE$12.1M
52SGCollin SextonNO-TRADE$9.4M
39SGJaden Hardy$6.0M
48SFJake LaRavia$6.0M
45SFDalton Knecht$4.2M
44SGCameron CarrNO-TRADE$3.3M
44SFZiaire WilliamsNO-TRADE$2.4M
57SGMatisse ThybulleNO-TRADE$2.4M
50CKevon LooneyNO-TRADE$2.4M
42PGBronny James$2.3M
47PFAdou Thiero$2.2M
Draft capital
Own first-rounders
’27 prot 1-4’28 swap w/ UTA’29 → DAL’30 swap w/ UTA’31 → UTA’32 kept’33 → UTA
Incoming picks & swap rights
’31 2nd · from WAS’32 2nd · from WAS
Full ledger — 2 in, 12 out
in 2031 — second round draft pick from Washington
in 2032 — second round draft pick from Washington
out 2027 — first round draft pick to Memphis
out 2027 — second round draft pick to Brooklyn
out 2028 — first round draft pick to Utah (swap, more favorable of Utah and Cleveland incoming)
out 2028 — second round draft pick to Orlando or Washington
out 2029 — first round draft pick to Dallas
out 2029 — second round draft pick to Washington
out 2030 — first round draft pick to Utah (swap, Utah incoming)
out 2030 — second round draft pick to Brooklyn
out 2031 — first round draft pick to Utah
out 2031 — second round draft pick to Brooklyn
out 2032 — second round draft pick to Atlanta or Oklahoma City
out 2033 — first round draft pick to Utah