With a current record of 20-10, the Los Angeles Lakers are among the top teams in the league standings-wise. However, they have some roster issues that need to be addressed before they can be considered genuine contenders.
According to one insider, the team plans to aggressively pursue assets to help them take the next step before the trade deadline.
The Lakers Will Be Aggressive in the Trade Market
There’s no doubting that the Lakers have the star power needed to be competitive. Luka Dončić is in his usual form with a league-leading 33.7 points per game. Austin Reaves, before his injury, was putting up an All-Star-caliber scoring performance with 26.6 points per game on a 50.7/36.5/87.3 shooting clip.
LeBron James can still lead the offense with his intelligence and playmaking when he’s healthy.
They also lack strength in other areas that will plague them in the crucial stretch near the end of the season, as well as in the playoffs. There is still time to fix this, and Rob Pelinka and the rest of the front office will be aggressive in doing so, according to Jovan Buha.
However, the insider also has some doubts about whether the Lakers can make moves that will actually move the needle in a positive direction.
“Outside of Herb Jones, I like maybe Andrew Wiggins ends up becoming available in Miami, or Keon Ellis in Sacramento, or Ayo Dosunmu in Chicago,” Buha said. “But, I don’t know how much those guys are actually solving their direct problems to a degree that changes their status in the West.”
“I think maybe they do a couple moves and that reshapes the roster with two or three new players,” he added. “I think adding that type of player would help for sure. I just think it’s deeper than one player.”
How aggressive will the Lakers be at the trade deadline?@JovanBuha tells @TheJaxShow and @DarthAmin the Lakers will be aggressive, but the roster issues might be too deep to fix. pic.twitter.com/nhxLnuTcE5
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) December 29, 2025
With Dončić at the helm, the Lakers have no problems on offense. They are seventh-best in the league in terms of offensive rating with 117.6. Their problem is on the other end of the court.
Defensively, the Lakers resemble the teams at the bottom of the standings. Their defensive rating is only 117.4, which ranks 25th in the league. The Charlotte Hornets, who’ve won only 11 games so far, are ranked 24th with 117.3 points per game.
Just a little bit up the list is the Indiana Pacers. Despite their 6-26 record, they are a better defensive team with a rating of 116.8.
This puts into perspective just how good the Lakers’ offense is. However, teams that struggle defensively typically don’t perform well in the postseason, regardless of their scoring ability.
