Two handicaps and one sign! The Lakers 14+2 lineup is released: Create a 195 million formation, helping Doncic to win the championship

The Lakers' plan to try to free up cap space through trade was shattered, and eventually had to cut Goodwin, plus Milton's previous cut, freeing up the cap space to sign Smart. The Lakers now have 14 regular NBA contracts, and two others have two-way contracts. The team's total salary for the 2025-26 season is $195 million. The 14+2 lineup of the Lakers is as follows: Doncic, Reeves, James, Hachimura, Ayton, Vincent, Smart, Brownie, Kneckett, Kleber, Thiero, Laravia, Vanderbilt, Hayes, Trey Jamison (two-way contract), Eric Dixon (two-way contract).

From the perspective of lineup configuration, compared with the Lakers' playoffs last season, the team's inside line has improved due to the introduction of Ayton. Laravia and Smart join, filling out three-pointers and defensive loopholes in the outside world, and Finney Smith's departure impact is expected to be weakened. However, the Lakers' current lineup depth is still a bit thin, especially the inside line is still at a disadvantage compared to the Western Conference Powerhouse.

The Lakers may also need to continue to fill in gaps through trades, such as introducing a big man or introducing a forward player with strong defensive ability.

The Lakers were reluctant to cut Goodwin. At the end of last season's regular season and in the playoffs, Goodwin became a major rotation player in Reddick's hands. Goodwin worked diligently on the defensive end and was appreciated by Redick. According to NBA reporter Brett Segal, the Lakers have negotiated with multiple teams over the past 24 hours to try to free up some cap space without sacrificing important draft assets.

Another NBA reporter, Anthony F. Irving, revealed that the main body of the deal may involve Kneckett and Kleber. However, the Lakers have few draft assets available to use. The recent draft assets can only be traded for one first-round pick (2031 or 2032) and one second-round pick. The Lakers still have 5 draft swap rights available (2026, 2028, 2030, 2031 and 2032).

Previous rumors were that the Lakers were very interested in Heat forward Wiggins, but Heat CEO Riley Lions spoke out loud and wanted to eat all the more valuable chips that the Lakers could use, so the Lakers would certainly not agree.

The Lakers may not make big deals this summer, after all, another plan of the team is to free up salary space in 2027 and pursue superstars. The Lakers do not want to be locked in their salary space, so the trading conditions will be relatively harsh.

The Lakers changed their boss, but the team's current operations are still the characteristics of the era when Jenny Bass is in power. The trading market is always loud and the rainstorm is small, and the buyout market is the main battlefield. The Lakers have found a bargaining Ayton and Smart, and are already the winners in the buyout market.

The Lakers will sign some training camp players to inspect the players next, but it may be just a minor repair. The Lakers were previously very interested in defender Melton, but after introducing Smart, the Lakers' back line had sufficient staff. The main areas that the Lakers need to strengthen are the forward and center positions.