Led by stars Luka Dončić and LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers had a solid, albeit injury-plagued season.
Despite an early-season injury to James and late-season injuries to Dončić and guard Austin Reaves, the Lakers posted a 53-29 record, the best mark in the Pacific Division and third-best in the Western Conference. The Lakers were able to upset the Houston Rockets in the first round in six games before getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James was excellent in the postseason, but Reaves was limited and Dončić did not suit up at all due to his hamstring strain. Now, with James and Reaves hitting free agency, the Lakers enter a pivotal offseason, and Dončić just revealed the type of players he wants Los Angeles to pursue for his supporting cast.
Luka Dončić Reveals What Type of Players He Wants Lakers to Add this Offseason
The Lakers tried to plug some holes last season with the additions of big man Deandre Ayton, sharpshooter Jake LaRavia, and point guard Marcus Smart. They also acquired another shooter in veteran guard Luke Kennard in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks prior to the All-Star break.
It remains to be seen if James will be back in Los Angeles next season, but regardless, this is Dončić’s team and the Lakers are focused on building around him. During a recent interview with Drafteados, Dončić was asked about the kind of players he wants around him on the Lakers in order to maximize his production.
“I think mainly shooters and a big man who can run the pick-and-roll and jump, so I can pass to him,” Dončić explained (as translated by LukaUpdates). “If I have shooters, they won’t double me as much and it helps me out.”
– What qualities do the players next to you need to have so you can perform at your level?
“I think mainly shooters and a big man who can run the pick-and-roll and jump so I can pass to him. If I have shooters, they won’t double me as much and it helps me out.”
YT/DrafteadosNBA pic.twitter.com/pi3tOAuxj3
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) June 16, 2026
Despite signing Ayton and LaRavia last season, the Lakers still had trouble down low and still struggled shooting beyond the arc at times. With playmakers like Dončić and potentially James, acquiring as many shooters as possible would be a good move.
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Kennard ended up being a great find for Los Angeles, averaging 11.5 points per game and shooting 47.4% from 3-point range during the postseason. However, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent next month, and the Lakers will likely have competition for his services given how good he looked in the postseason and how much teams value shooting in the modern NBA. It remains to be seen if the Lakers can re-sign him.
Even if they are able to keep Kennard, adding additional shooting is likely going to be a priority for the Lakers. Of course, they could choose to go a different direction and focus on the defensive side of the ball, which was arguably their biggest issue last season.
Either way, the Lakers will be a team to watch during the 2026 offseason, especially with the future of James and Reaves up in the air.