The Los Angeles Lakers saw their perfect 3-0 start to 2026 come to an end on Wednesday night, as the San Antonio Spurs handed them their first loss of the year in a 107-91 road loss for the purple and gold. It was the third matchup already this season between the two sides, as the Spurs take the 2-1 regular season series advantage.

Even though the Lakers lost, there were still some positives to take away, especially when you factor in that LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura were among the players out. Two players who had solid games were Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes, with both grabbing seven rebounds and scoring in double figures.

After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke to both LaRavia and Hayes and referenced how the two can help LA become a great team.

"At some point, you assume you're going to be at full health. I think we're gonna eventually be a great basketball team, and to do that you need 9 or 10 guys that are playing high-level basketball," Redick said.

That group of 9 or 10 guys would likely feature James, Reaves, Hachimura, Luka Doncic, LaRavia, Hayes, Marcus Smart, and Deandre Ayton. Some other players could be considered, but none of them have really emerged as consistent pieces in this rotation, and those two other players might be easier to find via the trade market instead.

Luckily for the Lakers, they have a handful of expiring contracts to play with in Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent, and even Hachimura if they decide to part ways with him. Factor in other assets like Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht, and it seems possible the Lakers could put together a deal or two to bring in some players that could positively contribute to the rotation.

Of course, the other wrinkle in this situation is staying healthy, as that starts with getting Reaves back from injury. James spent the beginning of the season injured, with Doncic also missing some time occasionally. Even if the Lakers can make some trades to land more rotation pieces, they still need their stars healthy.

The Lakers return to action on Friday, back at the Crypto.com Arena, to face the Milwaukee Bucks. While the Bucks aren't one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference at the moment, it is still a game that could give the Lakers trouble if they can't contain Giannis Antetokounmpo and their dynamic guard duo.