An NBA journalist is adamant that the Los Angeles Lakers will have a chance to make a game-changing move in 2026.
Lakers could land former Warriors two-time NBA champion forward to help Luka, writer thinks originally appeared on The Sporting News
It’s never a foolish idea for franchises to craft a plan for the foreseeable future.
While it’s pivotal to devote time to maximizing current opportunities, achieving greatness is only possible by remaining one step ahead of the opposition.
Assuming the Los Angeles Lakers want to enjoy success in the inevitable post-LeBron James era, Lake Show Life’s Svyatoslav Rovenchuk thinks the franchise could land a former Golden State Warriors two-time NBA champion forward next summer to help Luka Doncic.
“There is no immediate indicator to suggest the two-time NBA champion (Kevin Durant) wants to leave Houston (Rockets) after just arriving there this summer," Rovenchuk wrote last Thursday.
“However, the NBA is about opportunity. If the extension never gets done and the situation drags until next offseason, that is when the Lakers may see a moment to strike.”
“In that instance, it is also important to understand the circumstances under which the Lakers would want to take a swing on adding Durant. That situation would be largely tied to LeBron James and his future in Los Angeles.”
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“If James does end up deciding to play elsewhere after the 2025-26 season, the Lakers will have a big hole to fill on the roster. Durant offers a strong short-term fallback plan.”
While it was unclear where Durant would land this summer, the NBA community was well aware that the 15-time All-Star would be on the move after his frustrating tenure with the Phoenix Suns.
On July 6, the Suns traded Durant to the Rockets in a historic seven-team deal. Despite struggling in the team success department since leaving the Golden State Warriors, Durant is still a 20+ points per game scoring machine in his late 30s.
Last season, the slim reaper averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game with the below-average Suns, shooting 52.7% from the field and 43.0% from beyond the arc.
If James’ 2025-26 campaign winds up being his last with the Lakers, replacing him with Durant would help the franchise avoid taking a colossal step back in 2026-27 and beyond.
It will be interesting to see if Durant expresses interest in joining the Lake Show soon.
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