# Can the Lakers Contend Before Luka's Contract Expires? This Offseason Provides Clues.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-lakers-daily-podcast-on-the-los-angeles-lakers-174397/can-the-lakers-contend-before-luka-s-contract-expires-this-offseason-provides-clues
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-lakers-daily-podcast-on-the-los-angeles-lakers-174397/can-the-lakers-contend-before-luka-s-contract-expires-this-offseason-provides-clues.md
Podcast: [Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers](https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-lakers-daily-podcast-on-the-los-angeles-lakers-174397)
Published: 2026-08-10T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-lakers/
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Duration seconds: 2201

## Resource

This question came in from a listener, TheStewPup at Kambrothers on Twitter: Given the team's lack of (positive) trade pieces, how long do you guys think it will take to turn the team into a true contender? Can they realistically do it before Luka's contract is up? The answer is obviously really important, not just because they want to win, but because progress in that direction is what will help ensure they hold on to Luka after he (presumably) opts out of his current deal to sign an even bigger one, ideally with the Lakers. But while the Lakers made some big moves this summer, they're still not all the way there. That much is both clear and expected. So how do they cover the remaining ground? A story from Bobby Marks on ESPN looks at how next year's offseason could shape up, and the factors that will influence things. When you put it together, they could very well have been influenced to act aggressively this summer not only to respond to present needs, but also to anticipate future environments. There will be more teams with cap space. The free agent pool could be equally thin, but the Lakers could be working without this summer's draft capital, given that the one move they seemed sure to make was an aggressive play for a center. So there are a lot of steps the Lakers need to cover, from nailing this offseason's pickups to using next year's space wisely to really hitting on young, cost-controlled talent. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: Can the Lakers get good fast enough? SEGMENT 2: Factors at play. SEGMENT 3: Little ways the Lakers get better, to match the big ones. Photo Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our…

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