Lakers Predicted to Sign NBA Champion to Fill Out Roster

The Los Angeles Lakers bolstered their defense and depth for the 2025-26 season with the signing of Marcus Smart. However, the move also meant the Lakers were forced to waive two players, Jordan Goodwin and Shake Milton, to create the necessary salary cap space to sign the former Defensive Player of the Year.

So, who should the Lakers target to fill out their roster? They are widely predicted to sign Gary Payton II, a former NBA champion and defensive ace in his own right.

“He does everything required of a perimeter defender, plus he knows how to leverage the open spaces created by playing alongside a gravitational star,” Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley wrote of Smart, urging the Lakers to sign the two-way player.

“It doesn’t take much imagination to see him sniffing out cutting lanes or launching open corner threes alongside James, Doncic and Austin Reaves the way he would with Stephen Curry in Golden State.”

Payton II Stirs Lakers Speculation

“Signing Payton may not garner a lot of headlines (save for those attached to every Lakers’ update) or qualify as a sizable splash,” added Buckley. “Like the LaRavia, Ayton and Thiero additions, though, it’d be another smart, subtle upgrade to a roster that has quietly addressed a number of needs already.”

Payton II, the son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton, sparked speculation about possibly joining the Lakers when he hired Biff Duffy, Luka Doncic’s agent, as his new representative. Almost instantly, insiders and fans took Payton’s move as a sign that he would be wearing Purple & Gold colors in the 2024-25 season.

The Lakers have prioritized shoring up their point of attack defense in the offseason, which would explain their decision to pursue Smart.

“The Lakers have additional roster work to do, and team sources have said that improving the team’s point of attack defense is a priority,” Dan Woike and Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported on July 16.

How He Fits With the Lakers

Payton II knows what it entails to win an NBA championship. In the 2021-22 season, he played a key role on the Warriors team that captured the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

During the 2022 playoffs, Payton averaged 6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals while locking up his individual matchups on defense. Payton’s defense was so impressive that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr inserted him into the starting lineup in a few games of the Western Conference Finals.

In the critical Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Payton II was the unsung hero, as he finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three steals, while shooting 6-of-8 from the floor. Most importantly, he put the clamps on Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who was held to 5-of-18 shooting in the critical game when the series was tied at two wins apiece.

“He’s not a low-risk play; he lacks offensive consistency, but athleticism and defensive versatility make him a perfect end-of-rotation piece,” wrote Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World, explaining why Payton fits with the Lakers.

“At a minimal cost, Payton II can carve out a meaningful niche in late-game situations, helping the Lakers survive scrappy playoff series.”

Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan