![\"Lakers](\"https:\/\/library.sportingnews.com\/styles\/crop_style_16_9_desktop_webp\/s3\/2025-07\/Los%20Angeles%20Lakers%20Deandre%20Ayton.jpg.webp?itok=vYnNAiPH\")
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The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up for the regular season, now just a couple of months away. It\u2019s been an eventful summer for the team \u2014 they extended Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and worked to satisfy LeBron James, who at one point was rumored to be considering a trade request.<\/p>\n
However, his goal remains clear: he wants to win another championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeBron wants to compete for a championship,\u201d Rich Paul told ESPN. \u201cHe knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero pick MJ, LeBron, KD for All-Time NBA 2K Teams<\/p>\n If the Lakers want to be true contenders, they\u2019ll likely need to make a trade. One name that has surfaced is Andrew Wiggins, but another intriguing option is lob threat Myles Turner.<\/p>\n \u201cDeandre Ayton is at his best when he plays center, but the physical toll of doing so over an 82-game season remains a recurring concern. While Los Angeles has rotated through a carousel of backup bigs in recent years, none have provided the combination of rim protection, rebounding, and spacing that Myles Turner could bring. Long linked to the Lakers in trade rumors, Turner\u2019s name resurfaces every season, and for good reason: he\u2019s the archetype of the ideal Ayton partner,\u201d ClutchPoints\u2019 Rohan Brahmbhatt wrote.<\/em><\/p>\n While Turner could be an ideal fit alongside Ayton, the move would also benefit Don\u010di\u0107, who isn\u2019t interested in waiting around for a slow rebuild.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u010di\u0107 being just 26 gives the Lakers a far longer timeline to build a championship-contending team, but that doesn’t mean they can slow down and take their time. Don\u010di\u0107 told Lakers president Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick in May that he’s not interested in taking the slow approach in building a contender,\u201d CBS Sports\u2019 Jasmyn Wimbish wrote.<\/em><\/p>\n If the Lakers can pull off a trade for Turner, it would be a massive move for the franchise. The only problem? The Bucks just signed him, and Los Angeles has been unable to land him for years despite ongoing interest. Still, maybe this is the year the deal finally gets done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up for the regular season, now just a couple of months away. It\u2019s been an eventful summer for the team \u2014… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":100742,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n