Kendrick Perkins, the former NBA player turned analyst, has stated that the Los Angeles Lakers should set their sights on a championship for the 2026-27 season. This assertion comes even as Perkins expresses significant reservations about the team's current roster construction, particularly concerning its effectiveness around star player Luka Dončić.
Perkins pointed to Dončić and an offense expected to be among the league's elite as reasons for the Lakers to remain competitive. "They still have one of the best offensive players in Luka Dončić," Perkins said on ESPN's NBA Today. "They got enough offensive firepower to win games in the regular season."
However, Perkins' assessment places the Lakers behind other Western Conference teams, including Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver, and Minnesota. This cautious outlook follows earlier, more critical remarks he made regarding the franchise's strategy of building around Dončić and Austin Reaves. At that time, Perkins identified both players as "defensive liabilities" and suggested that playoff opponents might specifically target the Lakers due to these weaknesses.
Perkins elaborated on his concerns, stating, "It ain’t a team in the world, it ain’t a player in the world that’s afraid of Luka and Austin Reaves. When the playoffs come around, they’re gonna be looking to get to the seeding where they can actually look at them."
Despite these criticisms, Perkins' latest declaration of "championship or bust" is framed not as a full endorsement, but as a reflection of the high expectations inherent to the Lakers franchise. "The middle of the pack doesn’t mean nothing to the Laker fan base," Perkins added. "It’s championship or bust."
Oddsmakers, however, appear to align more closely with Perkins' reservations than his optimistic championship standard. FanDuel lists Los Angeles at +5500 to win the 2027 NBA championship, positioning them behind 17 other teams. Oklahoma City leads the market at +230, followed by San Antonio at +280.
This significant disparity highlights the contrast between the franchise's ambition and the betting market's perception. The Lakers are entering a new era centered around Dončić, following their recent $12.5 billion sale. Dončić himself has expressed enthusiasm for the future, stating his excitement to "get back on the court and bring a championship to LA."
Perkins' stance remains complex: he questions the construction of the team around their star while simultaneously insisting that the franchise cannot deviate from its championship-or-bust mentality. For the moment, the prevailing skepticism in Las Vegas appears to echo Perkins' doubts more than his ultimate prediction.