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NBA Executive Believes Los Angeles Lakers ‘Got Better’ This Offseason and Could Reach Conference Finals Next Season

Grant AfsethGrant Afsethno comment
NBA Executive Believes Los Angeles Lakers 'Got Better' This Offseason and Could Reach Conference Finals Next Season
Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

One NBA executive believes the Los Angeles Lakers “got better” this offseason, according to Lakers Daily.

The NBA executive also thinks the Lakers, who lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 postseason in five games, could make the Western Conference Finals next season.

Los Angeles signed Jake LaRavia, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart this offseason. Second-year head coach JJ Redick will start Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Ayton next season, per Lakers Daily.

“They were the third seed last year and did that without a starting-level center,” the NBA executive told Lakers Daily. “They definitely got better by adding Ayton and Smart. I can see them making the conference finals. You can never count out LeBron. I don’t care how old he is. He’s still amazing offensively. And everyone keeps talking about how great Luka looks after his weight loss. He’s probably hungry to win it all next season.”

The Lakers went 50-32 last season. They needed a center (Ayton) and a point-of-attack defender (Smart) around Dončić and James and accomplished both goals. Los Angeles president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka signed Ayton and Smart after Dorian Finney-Smith left for the Houston Rockets.

James, 40, is the oldest active player in the NBA. He turns 41 in December. The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP finished sixth in MVP voting and made the All-NBA Second Team last season. Betting against James to be an elite offensive player next season despite being “old” wouldn’t be the wise thing to do.

Meanwhile, Dončić lost a lot of weight this offseason and appears to be in strong shape. The five-time All-Star, who signed a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers on August 2, recruited Ayton and Smart to the purple and gold.

The Lakers currently have the sixth-best preseason odds to win the 2026 championship, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Rockets and Timberwolves.

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Grant Afseth

Grant Afseth

Senior Writer
Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.
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