Multi-time champion Danny Green gives his honest take on the new-look Lakers roster

Multi-time champion Danny Green gives his honest take on the new-look Lakers roster originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

In the 2026 offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers have made major changes. They have parted ways with LeBron James, the player who has been the superstar for the past eight years. He’s not the only departure, because the likes of Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes have also left the team.

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This made the Lakers‘ front office pivot to other targets, as they made a major sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler and signed underrated names like Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Despite the potential these signings have, it seems it was not the best offseason that multi-time champion Danny Green would have hoped for.

Danny Green walks back his criticism of the Lakers’ offseason

It is normal for someone like Green to criticize the Lakers because he knows what it takes for a team to win. He has three championships under his belt, including one with the Lakers in 2020.

Throughout his career, he has been part of all kinds of top teams, and he felt the Lakers were not doing enough earlier in the 2026 offseason. Now that the Lakers have made more moves, it seems that Green is walking back a bit on that criticism.

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Green understands that the Lakers are in a new era now, especially with Luka Doncic as the superstar player. That is why they need to build around him with players who complement his play style. With the moves they have made, that is clear, so Green is a bit more optimistic about the 2026-27 season.

“I mean, at first, I wasn’t sure where they were going, the direction, and then everything happened so fast, and I was like, ‘Damn, okay, this piece, that piece.’ I liked a lot of the pieces they picked up.
I know they’re young, so not super experienced. I think they’re gonna be a pretty good regular-season team. Playoffs, I don’t know because of the youth and experience,” Green said to ESPN Los Angeles about the Lakers’ offseason.

It is a fair opinion to have because the current Lakers are not a proven bunch like the LeBron-led teams. This will be an interesting situation to follow, especially in the Western Conference. If they can pull it off, they could be a dangerous team when the postseason rolls around.

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