Getty
General Manager Rob Pelinka and Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers speak with media during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on September 25, 2025 in El Segundo, California.
The injury-ravaged Los Angeles Lakers are down to nine rotational players, including two G Leaguers, a two-way player and a 41-year-old, entering Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Besides the obvious defensive upgrades needed by the Feb. 5 deadline, the Lakers could simply use more bodies to put on the floor. Since signing Nick Smith Jr. to a two-way deal before training camp, they’ve been unable to bring in other reinforcements, save for swapping out two-way players Christian Koloko and Drew Timme.
Hard-capped at the first apron, the Lakers couldn’t sign a 15th player to the roster. All that changes on Jan. 18, when the Rob Pelinka-led front office can sign a free agent to a veteran minimum deal worth $2.3M.
Free Agents Lakers Could Target
Some of the available free agents include Malik Beasley, Ben Simmons, Trey Lyles, Monte Morris, Torrey Craig, Alec Burks and Cory Joseph.
Among them, Simmons could be the most fascinating pickup, considering he can provide size and defense to a Lakers team that ranks 25th in defensive rating. The former No. 1 overall pick recently revealed he turned down several free-agency offers last offseason to get his body right before returning to the NBA.
“I can go out and play and probably do really well,” Simmons told Andscape’s Marc. J. Spears. “But I want to get my body to the best it’s been. I don’t think it’s good for anybody if I’m out there and I’m not 100 percent.”
“I needed time to get my body right. That was the priority.”
Simmons also hinted that he could return to the NBA halfway through the season, which would be closer to the Jan. 18 timeline for the Lakers.
Lakers Will be ‘Aggressive’
The Lakers sacrificed a 15th roster spot when they split the non-taxpayer mid-level exception between Deandre Ayton ($8.1M) and Jake LaRavia ($6M) last summer, moves that hard-capped them at the $195.9M first apron.
At the time, Rob Pelinka admitted the Lakers had to work around the challenges of the new CBA, but weren’t going to stop trying to upgrade the roster.
“We like the upgrades we were able to make to the roster,” Pelinka said. “But by no means are we going to be satisfied. I think every year we’re on an infinite cycle to try to improve this team and win championships, and we’ll stay committed to that work.”
As is widely documented, the Lakers are aggressively seeking 3-and-D players ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. But they could potentially reshape their roster if their defensive woes persist. According to insider Jovan Buha, the Lakers may look to make multiple moves to address their issues, much like they did in 2023.
“I think maybe they do a couple moves and that reshapes the roster with two or three new players,” Buha told “Sirius XM NBA Radio” of the Lakers’ trade plans last week.
“Right now, adding [a 3-and-D] player would help for sure. I just think it’s deeper than one player,” he added.
The Lakers have been linked to the New Orleans Pelicans’ Herb Jones, Miami Heat’s Andrew Wiggins, Sacramento Kings’ Keon Ellis and Dallas Mavericks‘ Daniel Gafford.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
More Heavy on Lakers
Loading more stories