The Lakers are the hottest team in the league right now, and it’s not even up for debate. They’ve strung together eight straight wins, climbing to second in the Western Conference. But let’s see how long the streak lasts—because things are about to get real. Their road trip kicks off Saturday night in Boston, where the Celtics, fresh off winning nine of their last 11, will be waiting.

L.A. got the best of them in their last matchup, but this time, the Celtics are fully loaded, while the Lakers will have to battle without one of their key starters. Looks like Jaxson Hayes is out of the lineup, dealing with a right knee contusion.

Hayes has embraced his role as the Lakers‘ starting center and made a real impact. He’s been locking in over the last 10 games, shooting a ridiculous 75.6 percent from the field while averaging 8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.2 blocks in just 22.7 minutes.

Thursday’s matchup against the Knicks showed just how valuable he’s been. He played a season-high 34 minutes, doing all the dirty work—crashing the boards, protecting the rim, and finishing plays—before fouling out. Through 40 games, he’s putting up 6.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and a block per game while knocking down 71.4 percent of his shots in 19.2 minutes.

Hayes caught a facial contusion in the game against the Jazz before the All-Star break, but that didn’t slow him down—he didn’t miss a single game.

Playing alongside Doncic has completely elevated his game. With Luka running the show, Hayes is living the dream as a lob target, getting fed easy buckets on a silver platter. While that connection has been fun to watch, the Lakers still need more firepower, especially on the perimeter. That’s where GM Rob Pelinka could already be looking ahead to a potential fix.

The Lakers eye someone on the Bulls

LA has been shooting up the Western Conference standings. Yet, there’s a twist: their offense has taken a nosedive. In the last eight games, they’ve managed only a 116.1 offensive rating, ranking them at a disappointing No. 15.

It’s weird, right? As a fan, you’d expect a duo of that caliber to light it up every night.

With things not going as planned on the offensive end, GM Pelinka is already scanning the horizon. Rumor has it he might be reaching out to the Chicago Bulls about their guard, Coby White. At 25, this 6-foot-5 combo guard was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and he’s been turning heads ever since.

In his 56 games for the Bulls this season, White has averaged 18.9 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds. He’s become known as a microwave scorer and a clever ball-handler. The Lakers might be drawn to him because both Doncic and LeBron have thrived alongside players with a similar style – think of how Kyrie Irving boosted success on past teams.

While White might not yet be in the same league as a nine-time All-Star, his versatile offensive skills could ease the pressure on LA’s superstar duo. A potential deal could involve rookie Dalton Knecht, plus the salary of either Gabe Vincent or Jarred Vanderbilt, and some draft picks. If it comes together, White could definitely be the spark the Lakers need to reach new heights.