The Los Angeles Lakers rarely stand still.
Even in moments where the roster looks “solid,” the franchise has always understood a basic truth: in a league that moves this fast, standing pat is another form of falling behind. And as we edge closer to the trade deadline, the question is no longer whether the Lakers will explore upgrades, it’s which ones can meaningfully elevate this roster into something stronger, deeper, and more consistent.
This breakdown is made in full collaboration with @uptown2LA_, one of the most insightful, detail-driven Lakers voices online. His perspective on roster construction, depth concerns, and positional needs sets the foundation for this entire analysis.
And that perspective begins with a clear, grounded assessment of the team’s current state.
“The roster is looking pretty okay.” — @uptown2LA_
It is an honest and accurate statement.
The Lakers aren’t in crisis. They aren’t broken. They aren’t a team scrambling to find identity or direction. Instead, they’re a team that feels close, close to fully clicking, close to forming a real rhythm, and close to becoming a real top-tier playoff threat. The foundation is stable. The chemistry is visible. And the development is encouraging.
One of the most notable bright spots has been their recent draft pick Adou Theiro, a long, explosive athlete whose defensive instincts and activity immediately pop on tape. As @uptown2LA_ puts it:
“We recently drafted Theiro which we needed due to his athleticism and we seen it in the last couple of minutes against the Bucks.”
Those closing minutes showed exactly why the Lakers targeted him, switchability, length, and real burst. These are elements the roster has lacked in certain stretches, especially against larger wings and multi-positional scorers.
Still, as promising as the young pieces are, the bigger conversation revolves around what’s missing.
Wing Depth: The Critical Gap
This is where @uptown2LA_ hits one of the team’s most pressing needs:
“When the trade deadline comes we could use either wing players and two-way players or even some catch-and-shoot players.”
The modern NBA demands wing depth. It’s no longer optional. If you want to defend elite scorers, switch actions, maintain spacing, and keep pace in the playoffs, you need 3–4 playable wings, not one or two, not hybrid guards masquerading as wings, real wings.
The Lakers have been forced into awkward lineup combinations at times because they lack that true wing surplus. Catch-and-shoot players ease pressure off the creators, and two-way wings stabilize both ends of the floor. Adding one or two of these pieces could smooth out the rotations instantly.
The Bench: Flashes of Brilliance, Flashes of Concern
Depth is the engine of an 82-game season.
And this is the next area where @uptown2LA_ brings important clarity:
“We need like 2 or 3 more players for the bench because I feel like our bench is sort of lacking depth and can sometimes be a little inconsistent in terms of scoring.”
This is exactly right. The Lakers’ bench has nights where it looks dynamic, pushing pace, defending, hitting timely shots, and other nights where it stalls completely. Contending teams typically have predictable bench units. You know what scoring you’re getting, what defensive intensity you’re getting, and what lineups can hold leads instead of surrendering them.
Right now, the Lakers’ bench does not have that predictability.
The solution isn’t a total overhaul, it’s reinforcement. A steady veteran shooter (Klay Thompson?), a high-energy wing defender (They got Smart but someone like Deandre Hunter or Andrew Wiggins…), or even a sixth-man scoring guard (Westbrook Part 2.) could shift entire stretches of games.
The Backup Center Issue for the Lakers
Perhaps the sharpest point made by @uptown2LA_ concerns the big man rotation:
“We could also use another backup center because I feel like just having one is not a great idea… when your starting center is out now you gotta rely on just that backup center and when they get subbed out you no longer have one out on the floor, and that can hurt your team too.”
This is one of the most overlooked roster-building lessons in the NBA.
The playoffs punish teams with thin frontcourts. Foul trouble, fatigue, and matchups expose weaknesses in minutes without a real rim protector. If the Lakers want to keep defensive intensity and rebounding consistent, a second playable center is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Names to watch include:
- Defensive anchors stuck in bad situations
- Athletic lob threats
- Stretch-fives who won’t compromise spacing
- Veterans comfortable playing 12–16 minutes in a playoff setting
This single addition could stabilize lineups dramatically.
A Deadline Built on Precision, Not Panic for the Lakers
Despite calling for upgrades, the tone of @uptown2LA_’s assessment is not one of urgency or fear. It’s one of clarity.
“Overall I’m pretty content with the roster but we definitely need a move or two at the deadline.”
“Overall we just need one more move or two to make this roster more consistent and better.”
It’s the perfect way to describe where the Lakers are right now:
A team with a solid foundation… but incomplete edges.
A roster with strengths… but not quite enough margins.
A squad capable of winning… but one or two moves from being fully optimized.
This deadline is not about chasing stars or panicking. It’s about refinement. It’s about addressing obvious positional gaps. It’s about making the bench reliable. It’s about securing depth before unpredictable playoff challenges hit.
The window is open, but not guaranteed. And that is exactly why these next steps matter.
Massive thank you to @uptown2LA_ for shaping this entire breakdown with sharp insight, real analysis, and the perspective only a committed fan with a deep understanding of the team can provide.
Follow him here: https://x.com/uptown2la_
