The Los Angeles Lakers have been playing some of their best basketball in recent weeks, with Luka Dončić carrying the offense while the team undergoes a dramatic defensive transformation. According to analysts, the Lakers have moved away from a slow, possession-by-possession style and shifted toward a more fluid, freelance approach that has gotten more players involved. JJ Redick has been credited with building a cohesive team defense around a heavily rebuilt roster. However, the on-court resurgence has been accompanied by an old Los Angeles controversy resurfacing, one that reaches back to 2019 and the recruitment of Kawhi Leonard.
At the time, the Lakers reportedly faced requests from Leonard’s camp, led by his uncle Dennis Robertson, for benefits beyond a standard player contract, including housing and private transportation. Reports indicate that Jeanie Buss refused those requests, saying they would violate the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement and salary cap rules. She reportedly shut down those conversations quickly. Leonard ultimately chose the Clippers over the Lakers, a decision that prevented a potential lineup featuring Leonard alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Analysts have noted that the Clippers were not simply trying to sign Leonard for themselves but were also motivated by desperation to keep him away from their city rivals. The fear of facing a Lakers team with Leonard, James, and Davis reportedly pushed the Clippers toward a more aggressive approach. The discussion has since expanded to include broader questions about what the Clippers may have done behind the scenes. Some commentators have pointed to the precedent set during those 2019 negotiations, suggesting that bending the rules then may have led to more serious violations later.
These allegations have largely emerged in connection with Leonard’s subsequent contract negotiations, and the NBA eventually investigated and punished the Clippers for conduct related to the situation. Steve Ballmer has drawn criticism over the affair, despite his reputation as one of the league’s most financially powerful owners. The Clippers spent heavily on their new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, reportedly at a cost of around two billion dollars, but the NBA’s disciplinary action has attached a stigma to the franchise. One analyst noted that while Ballmer may consider the fines insignificant compared to his wealth, the reputational damage is a different matter, and the league deserves credit for taking a principled stand.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have their own off-court instability, with questions surrounding the Buss family’s internal conflicts and speculation about the team potentially being sold. Some commentators have suggested it may be time for a fresh start, while acknowledging that Jeanie Buss deserves credit for refusing to involve the franchise in the reportedly improper requests made in 2019. On the court, the Lakers remain one of the hardest teams to project for the upcoming season. They failed to acquire Jonathan Kuminga, which leaves questions at the power forward position.
The roster now features Walker Kessler, Ousmane Dieng, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Collin Sexton, along with younger players competing for opportunities. Given the massive turnover, analysts say it is difficult to predict whether the Lakers will finish near the top of the standings or in the middle of the pack. Teams like Denver, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio have continuity and established identities, while the Lakers are still assembling theirs. Calling them a guaranteed top-three team is premature, but predicting them to finish eighth carries the same uncertainty.
If Dončić continues to produce at a high level, the defense keeps improving, and Redick can integrate these new pieces, the Lakers could become far more dangerous than anyone expects.
