As the National Basketball Association rosters take shape heading into the 2025-26 season, two teams that have changed their rosters the most are the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers have added defensive specialists in DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart, while the Clippers have added Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, John Collins, and Brook Lopez.
Now the question is have the Lakers and Clippers done enough? Are they serious contenders to battle the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets for a Western Conference championship?
Based on the moves the Lakers and Clippers have made, there is a possibility we could see an all-Los Angeles Western Conference Final. It is interesting that the Lakers have never faced the Clippers at all in the postseason, and we are now talking about the possibility that the Lakers will play the Clippers in the NBA’s Final Four.
In order for this possible series to transpire, the Lakers will need Ayton and Smart to provide the necessary defense required to complement their two top superstars in LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The Clippers meanwhile already have superstars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, and now have added an extra nucleus of experience, that will try to get them to the promise land for the first time.
To answer the opening question in the second paragraph, was there enough done? I don’t think so. Maybe there is some Canadian bias, but the Thunder are still elite with SGA, and the Nuggets are still great with Nikola Jokic. I would take OKC and Denver over the Los Angeles-based teams.
