The Lakers are focusing on youth and athleticism with free agency signings

After being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick sat in front of the media to reflect on the year. 

The duo addressed what they felt went right and wrong about last season and what should come next. 

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“If you look around the playoffs right now, I think depth is really important, athleticism and youth,” said Pelinka. “We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it.”

Fast forward to the present day and Pelinka’s words at the time have proved not to be just cliche front office speak, but rather an outline of what his vision for the team is. After a flurry of moves, and with more likely to come, the Lakers look drastically different from the way they did the last time we saw them. 

You can argue about the transactions they’ve made this summer and even the ideology behind them. Yet it is clear the team has aggressively picked a direction for their next chapter and is leaning hard into it. Perhaps, for the first time in years. 

If there is one common trend of the players they have added, it’s that they’re both younger and more athletic than those they are replacing. 

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With an average age of 26.3, the Lakers had the seventh-oldest roster in the NBA last season. Zooming in more, their starting group’s average age was 30.8. For context, the Clippers had the oldest roster to start last season at 28.6.

Age is one thing, but the Lakers also simply were too slow compared to their counterparts, especially the elite ones. 

According to the league’s tracking data, the Lakers were the second-slowest team on offense and the slowest team on defense last year, two stats that proved to be their downfall the further they went in the playoffs. 

Their new players should help in both areas.  Although more moves are likely on the horizon, if this were the final depth chart, the Lakers would enter next season with an average roster age of 25.1. That would have ranked 12th youngest last year.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 03: Cameron Carr #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a three-point shot over Malevy Leons #33 of the Golden State…

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Publish date : 2026-07-04 15:24:00

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