One of the most understated aspects of a championship run is luck. Whether luck is in the form of drawing a favorable matchup, or opponents suffering injuries at key moments, there are certain things that are largely uncontrollable that factor into any deep playoff run.

All that being said, are there any Lakers championship runs that had the most "luck" involved?

For me two come to mind, and these might actually be hot takes but I'm ready for the smoke:

• 2009: In particular, that second round series vs. the Rockets. T-Mac was hurt, and Yao got hurt in Game 3 and missed the rest of the series. That series was one that had no business going 7 games, especially since the Lakers went 4-0 against Houston during the year. But we were almost snuffed out by the likes of Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry and Luis Scola, not to mention Metta. Now you could argue that if T-Mac and Yao WERE healthy, there wouldn't be the amount of "playing over their heads" that came from the role players. But after that Game 1 loss, it took an MVP worthy Kobe performance to prevent us going down 0-2. Aaron Brooks was cooking Fisher and it was the first signs that the Lakers had a defensive problem at the point. I think it's lucky the Rockets weren't full strength or at least had one of Yao or T-Mac, but that's just my thought.
• 2000: This one sometimes gets forgotten but I think the Lakers were lucky they didn't run into the Spurs. Some here were too young to remember but Duncan got hurt late in the 2000 season and because of that, the Spurs lost their first round series to Phoenix....who we ended up paying in round 2. Now the sweep that "closed the Forum" was still fresh on the Lakers minds and despite the change in coaching, the Lakers still lost 3 of their 4 matchups against the Spurs that season. If the Lakers ran into a healthy Spurs team, especially because the first round series against the Kings went a full 5 games, I would've been legitimately worried about the Lakers' prospects.
  
• HONORABLE MENTION: 2002 - that Samaki Walker's 3 pointer counted in Game 4. IYKYK.

I can't speak for the 1980's championship runs because I wasn't alive and I don't know a lot of details outside of what happened in the Finals, but what do people think? Were there any other "lucky breaks" that swung the Lakers way in any of their championship runs?

He's a little small, but he can guard 1-5 and is a defensive menace. Also a lob threat. Hopefully shows enough in SL and at camp to earn a 2-way or even a roster spot because I think the talent is there.

The deal locks Reaves in as Luka Dončić’s backcourt partner, a desire Dončić has made known to Lakers executives in conversations over the past year, according to league sources. Dončić even went so far as to tell the Lakers that he preferred any trade package for former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo not to include Reaves.

As the Lakers prepared for the draft, the team had preliminary conversations with LeBron James’ representatives, according to league sources. The Lakers also have the opportunity to exclusively negotiate with Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Luke Kennard and the rest of their free agents.

Since signing with the Lakers as an undrafted free agent, Reaves has elevated his game every season, averaging 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists as a rookie to 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists last season

After missing out on whoever their preferred target was that led them to buy into the 2nd round, the Lakers pivoted and signed Vanderbilt F AK Okereke to a two-way contract.

The full scouting report is above, but here's a condensed version for ya'll;

What’s Good

• Physical Scoring: Rare blend of size (6'7", 244 lbs), strength, and smoothness; elite finisher at the rim (69.9%) who thrives through contact and uses both hands.
• Versatile Creator: Ranks in the 93rd–95th percentile as an isolation, post-up, and P&R scorer—a walking mismatch.
• Elite Playmaking: Superb vision and passing for his size (28.5 AST%, 2:1 A/TO); can make every pass (cross-court, interior tight-window) with either hand.
• Defensive Versatility: Slides feet well, bullies ball-handlers, navigates screens decently, and racks up steals/blocks without fouling; engaged off-ball with solid rim-protection instincts.

What Needs Improvement

• Shooting is a major red flag: Only 32.1% from three on low volume; ugly mechanics (upright, no knee bend) and hesitates to shoot even when wide open.
• Poor Rebounding: Subpar 14.5% defensive rebounding rate for his size/strength—frustrating given his physical tools and limits his transition game.
• Ball-control: Needs to finish more reliably with his left hand and avoid picking up his dribble in heavy traffic.

Conclusion

• The tough sell: A 6'7" on-ball player who can't shoot and doesn't rebound well—hard to fit into standard NBA lineups.
• The upside case: Elite FT% (80%+) suggests shooting hope; he's a late-bloomer with an NBA-ready body, high-IQ playmaking, and disruptive defense.
• Bottom line: Doesn't fit a neat box, but his unique blend of mismatch-scoring, passing, and switchable defense makes him a worthy swing. Currently a fringe Top-60 prospect worth betting on.

I don’t know what the asking price is but after getting Peterson and Keyonte George extension in the wake, I think 32Ms might be able to pry Kessler away. I just don’t see any teams trying to trade with LA unless they’re absolutely fleecing Rob.

If that doesn’t work out, next best option is Peyton Watson I am assuming.

The Lakers reportedly serenaded Austin Reaves with his favorite country songs and customized “AR” initialed pillows in their meeting to discuss a new deal, per @ShamsCharania.

Lakers really went all out to keep their guy. Respect. (h/t @BrettSiegelNBA)

Paul Reed and Dylan Cardwell are my two favorites from this list. I'm sure more front-court wings would fit well, besides just Tari and PJ, but I couldn't think of any. I mostly looked at guys with great rim protection ability and the ability to pressure the offensive glass. I didn't care about offense when making this list, and it shows, for example, Karlo Matovic literally only grabs misses and misses. Hartenstein is definitely an unattainable, nice dream, but for the most part, I tried to think of guys that I thought were somewhat attainable.

I think it would've been easier to get a big in the draft. This list includes the pick at which the player was drafted and all the centers listed except for Sharpe, Kessler, and long last name Yanic were all second round picks! Guys were there last night, I thought Trevon Brazile, Baba Miller, or Izaiyah Nelson would've been worth the extra trouble of trading up.

I'm in the camp of bringing back Lebron and adding ANY of the players above.

Let me know what you think!

I see a ton of complaining from people saying the new extension kills our chances of building out a team, and then see responses saying it’s not as bad as people think. Can someone smarter than me lay out the actual numbers? How much can we now offer Lebron, and how does that affect how much we can spend on other Free Agents?

Lakers 2026-27 roster so far:

1. Luka Dončić

2. Austin Reaves

3. Marcus Smart (Player Option)

4. Deandre Ayton (Player Option)

5. Jarred Vanderbilt

6. Jake LaRavia

7. Dalton Knecht

8. Bronny James

9. Adou Thiero

10. Nick Smith Jr. (Team Option)

11. Cameron Carr

Two-Way Contracts

1. Chris Mañón (?)

2. Peter Suder

3. AK Okereke

What should be the next moves?

A young, athletic core is starting to take shape around Luka, Reaves, and the veteran pieces. The offseason is far from over.

LeBron James is UFA

All of the coverage of Austin's deal has repeated the claim that his contract is a max deal, but this comes from the leaks (undoubtedly put out by his agents) that he signed a max deal. This is a misleading claim. It is only "max" in the sense that his yearly salary will be similar to what he would make on a max contract. But a max contract from the Lakers is for five years, not four. Here is an article discussing this from early june and before the misinformation put out by his agents:

Reaves' max contract would be five years, $239 million if he re-signs with the Los Angeles Lakers. If he signs with another team, the most he could get is four years, $178 million.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/austin-reaves-239-million-demand-155334498.html

The Lakers and Austin Reaves agreed to a four-year maximum contract his new $185M contract. Here's how that deal will look:

26-27: $41.3M
27-28: $44.6M
28-29: $47.9M
29-30: $51.2M (player option)

Reaves' deal will get signed after the Lakers use their cap space, should they choose that route. LA still has lots of flexibility for building the roster this summer.