The Lakers were quiet at this year’s NBA trade deadline. The only notable addition to the roster was the acquisition of sharpshooter Luke Kennard in a deal with the Hawks. Otherwise Los Angeles stood pat despite holding a top-five seed in the Western Conference.
President Rob Pelinka spun the team’s inaction as being “aggressive” in turning down trades that didn’t make sense for the long-term future of the franchise, which reflects the NBA world’s larger belief that the Lakers plan to be quite active this upcoming offseason. This belief is backed up by the organization’s financial situation heading into the summer of 2026, where the Lakers are projected to have roughly $50 million in cap space.
