Lakers Predicted to Target Luka Doncic's Former Teammate This Summer

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a second-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the rebuild around Luka Doncic starts now. With roughly $48 million in cap space to work with, the front office has real decisions to make, starting with the wing position.

According to a detailed offseason breakdown by CBS Sports' Sam Quinn, the Lakers are expected to look at the free agent wing market this summer, and one name stands out from the rest: Quentin Grimes, currently a free agent after a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

"The three-and-D side of the equation is a bit better, though by no means perfect. Quentin Grimes is probably the best the market has to offer, and he's enough of a ball-handler to potentially help pick up some of the duties James would cede upon his eventual exit," Quinn wrote.

Grimes and Doncic have history. The two were briefly teammates in Dallas during the 2024-25 season before Grimes was shipped to Philadelphia at the trade deadline. In his time with the Mavericks, he was trusted with real defensive assignments and handled the ball alongside elite playmakers, which is exactly the profile the Lakers want around Doncic.

This past regular season with Philadelphia, Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 29.4 minutes per game. His three-point shooting dipped to 33.4 percent, and his playoff numbers were modest as the 76ers were swept by the New York Knicks in the second round.

What Quentin Grimes Brings to the Lakers and Where He Falls Short

Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes — Quentin Grimes | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

He shoots off movement, guards multiple perimeter positions, and already knows how Doncic operates. Once LeBron James eventually walks, someone has to absorb those playmaking duties, and Grimes is built for exactly that kind of role.

But Quinn did not sugarcoat the limitations:

"However, Grimes is only a decent defender, far from a great one. He'd fit, but he's not exactly the stopper the Lakers will eventually need to acquire."

That is the honest reality of where the wing market sits this summer. Grimes checks enough boxes to make sense as an addition, especially given his familiarity with Doncic. But if this offseason is truly about building something capable of beating Oklahoma City, a decent wing is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle Los Angeles still has to solve.

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