All things considered, the Los Angeles Lakers have gotten off to an impressively strong start this season. They currently rank third in the West with an 11-4 record, and most of that has been without star LeBron James.
With him now back, the Lakers could emerge as a true powerhouse in the West and even challenge the Denver Nuggets for being the second-best team in the conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Even so, most believe that the Lakers don’t have enough to beat the Nuggets and especially the Thunder come playoff time. That is probably true, though they have been known to make big trades come February at the trade deadline.
The Lakers may have to pump the brakes on their trade plans
What makes this year so fascinating, however, is that the Lakers shouldn’t or, perhaps, couldn’t make a big trade thanks to several factors. One being that they hope to have significant cap space in the offseason, and making a big trade would sacrifice some of that flexibility.
The decisions the Lakers make at the 2026 deadline/offseason will define the Luka era.
Do you trust Rob Pelinka to trade away your last movable first-round picks? Those are the stakes. The Lakers don’t have many bullets to fire. If yes, move forward. If no, you’ve gotta act NOW. https://t.co/p90PGZrGto
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) November 22, 2025
Then again, cap space isn’t what it used to be, but having around $95 million in cap space and the appeal of playing in Los Angeles should be enough to lure a top free agent, i.e., Trae Young. Another potential roadblock is Austin Reaves’ free agency, with him expected to get a massive contract.
Then there is the issue of draft picks. The Lakers only have one tradeable first-round pick at the moment. But if they wait until the offseason, then they could have three first-round picks to trade.
Waiting for the summer to make a big trade makes sense for L.A.
That gives them incentive to wait until the summer to make a big move rather than try to improve in the short term at the trade deadline. That could mean essentially rolling with this team and hoping for the best and then attempting to dramatically improve the roster this summer.
That might be the best possible option, though this is almost certainly LeBron’s final season in Los Angeles, and sacrificing that could prove costly. After all, there is no guarantee that they could get a player as good as him this summer.
However, the Lakers have clearly been prioritizing the long term rather than the short term. Barring them changing course, Lakers fans probably shouldn’t be expecting a major trade this season unless another superstar falls into their laps.
Instead, smart money would be on them making a smaller move that doesn’t sacrifice cap space this summer or their ability to trade three firsts during the offseason. Finding a trade that manages to accomplish those things while also moving the needle will be tough, but the Lakers have shown the creativity to get those deals done.