The Los Angeles Lakers have managed to upgrade their current roster without sacrificing flexibility to make big moves next summer.
While many Lakers fans are looking forward to the summer of 2026, when the Lakers could have up to $96 million in cap space, they should also be keeping an eye on the summer of 2028. That’s when superstar Nikola Jokic may hit unrestricted free agency, assuming he doesn’t sign an extension next summer.
That would be a dream opportunity for the Lakers, especially with Luka Doncic having close ties to Jokic. Not to mention that Jokic has repeatedly beaten the Lakers. By potentially signing him, they’d be removing that obstacle, giving them an easier path to the Western Conference Finals.
That could potentially be a huge selling point for the Lakers, with the Nuggets having limited ways to build around Jokic going forward. They even mortgaged their future by trading 2032 first to improve their roster in the short term.
The Nuggets might be as good as the Lakers, if not better, next season, but Los Angeles has a brighter future. The Lakers certainly hope that Jokic agrees and is able to be convinced to leave the Nuggets in 2028.
How realistic is Nikola Jokic signing with the Lakers?
Pairing Doncic and Jokic together would make for an all-time great offensive tandem that could score at will against any team in the playoffs. Although it would need the right pieces around them, they could attract plenty of veteran ring chasers.
At the moment, Lakers fans can maintain some level of optimism that Jokic will actually leave Denver. After all, he intentionally didn’t sign a contract extension this summer. Be that as it may, that was likely done to set up him signing a much larger contract next summer.
If he doesn’t, however, then all bets are off. Given recent trends, stars tend to avoid free agency in favor of taking extensions. That may work against the Lakers, who happen to have significant cap space next summer.
Even so, having plenty of cap space does come with the ability to trade for a star. Jokic is currently a pipe dream, while Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is a little less so. The odds of him wanting out of Milwaukee seem far higher than Jokic wanting out of Denver.
Jokic is a long-shot free agency target for the Lakers
He’d make for a much more realistic trade target if and when he becomes available. Still, until Jokic actually signs an extension to stay with the Nuggets, best believe that teams will be keeping an eye on that situation.
The Lakers do run the risk of resetting their roster after next season and ending up with a worse team than the one they currently have. Star LeBron James is likely to either retire or play for another team the season after next. That will put pressure on Los Angeles to replace him with a comparable star to help Doncic or risk them taking a step back.
All told, the Lakers have big plans to rebuild their roster around Doncic starting after next season. If Jokic doesn’t sign an extension next summer, then he could be a long-shot free agency target given his relationship to Doncic.
