Lakers' buyout market targets revealed! Looking to sign Haywood-Smith and Thomas, aiming to emulate Dodgers with a new management team

On February 7th Beijing time, as reported by Lakers' Woike, the team is eyeing potential buyout market targets. League insiders reveal that wing player Haywood-Hay Smith is among their favored picks, contingent on his knee recovery. Another candidate is his ex-Nets teammate Cameron Thomas, who is a more debated choice.

Neither of these potential acquisitions will interfere with the Lakers' 2026 blueprint. The team's long-term strategy definitely includes pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo. On draft night, the Lakers hold three first-round picks, enough to present a highly competitive offer.

However, scouts and front offices from other teams generally believe that such assets are still insufficient. Even so, the Lakers can and should take bold moves. At the same time, chasing Giannis must not be the centerpiece of their offseason recruitment.

This summer, the Lakers have ample salary cap space, presenting a perfect opportunity—they can use this to build a modern management structure and achieve early results. League sources say the Lakers plan to significantly expand their front office roles this summer, following the example of the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers to create a brand-new operational system.

When asked about the potential strength of the Lakers' new management team, an executive from another club bluntly stated, "This will be a force to be reckoned with."

Compared to previous star-chasing moves, the Lakers' approach this summer is clearly more focused and pragmatic. They hold the most abundant salary cap among all competitive teams in the league, giving them full confidence to actively pursue players that fit their needs. The center position remains a key recruitment focus. They may try to engage restricted free agents like Denver's Payton Watson and Houston's Tari Eason. Although signing restricted free agents involves complex procedures with offer sheets and matching rights, the Lakers can leverage draft picks and use sign-and-trade methods to bypass these hurdles.

According to internal team sources, the Lakers will not put all their eggs in one basket. This is their current advantage: they can and should pursue Giannis; they can and should trade draft picks for high-level role players and use salary space to sign them; they can and should proactively seek to acquire top restricted free agents.

At the same time, they can and should build a professional management team—one capable of keeping the franchise undefeated whether dealing with superstars, high-salary free agents, minimum contracts, or second-round draft picks.

Among all possible moves the Lakers could make this summer, establishing a strong management team is the top priority.