Lakers three signings ratings for offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers are under a bit of pressure in the 2025 offseason and were beaten out of the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs in the 2024-25 season. LeBron James' dissatisfied with the team's mid-season reinforcement and trading Anthony Davis also made the Lakers feel some disagreements with him in the offseason.

After entering the 2025 offseason, the Lakers also gave up consulting LeBron James about the team's strengthening, and instead turned to consulting Luka Doncic. There is no way, LeBron and James are not really sure whether he will stay or not next season, and he may end up forcing a deal.

After all, choosing the $52.6 million player option is to some extent, it also locked the team's reinforcement space for the 2025-26 season. However, in the 2025 offseason, the Lakers still signed Jack Laravia, Ayton, and Smart as the Lakers' reinforcement helper. Let's take a look at the signing scores of the US media FW for the Lakers' three players! LeBron James may really not be able to bear it anymore. Such reinforcement is really difficult to win the championship in the Western Conference.

Jack Laravia: B+

Jack Laravia played for the Kings and the Grizzlies last season, at the age of 22, and received a two-year, $12 million contract. In the 2024-25 season, Jack Laravia averaged 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 47.5% from the field and 42.3% from three-point shooting. The offensive efficiency is good, especially in the three-point shooting. It is OK to let him replace Dorian Finney Smith's offense, but there may be a certain gap in defense. Dorian Finney Smith is 9 years older than Jack Laravia and his annual salary is about twice as high.

Aiton: A

The Lakers need an excellent center for many years. When Anthony Davis was still there, they urgently needed a center. As a result, now they have signed Ayton, but Anthony Davis is no longer on the team. The Lakers only used a two-year contract of $16.6 million to win Ayton, who averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds last season. Ayton is 27 years old and averages 16 points and 10 rebounds in his career. He is a traditional center who can provide the inside rebounds and scores the team needs most. Ayton once said that it was because of Luka Doncic that he chose to join the Lakers.

Smart: C

After Smart reached a buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards, he signed the Los Angeles Lakers with a two-year, $11 million contract. Smart is the best defensive player of the year 2022. Who would have thought that as a locker room leader and defensive champion with rich experience in the playoffs, he would have fallen to this point.

Smart averaged 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists last season, shooting 39.3% from the field and 34.8% from three-pointers. Smart's offensive efficiency is not high and his defense is excellent, but he cannot bring a better offensive threat to the team. This is Smart's biggest weakness.

LeBron James is really going to panic. The Lakers' current signing is not enough to defeat some of the strong teams in the West. For example, teams such as Rockets, Timberwolves, and Nuggets.