According to The Athletic, league sources indicate that Luka Doncic has made his stance clear to the Lakers: he wants Austin Reaves to stay. Beyond their close personal bond, Doncic views Reaves as a long-term core piece who fits perfectly alongside him.
Multiple league insiders reveal that Doncic has even told the front office he absolutely does not want Reaves included in any trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He prefers preserving the Doncic-Reaves core and then recruiting another superstar around them.
The Lakers are expected to pursue a trade for Antetokounmpo this summer. Doncic maintains regular communication with new owner Mark Walter and is pleased with their dialogue. He has frequently mentioned that the team’s 15-2 run in March gave him confidence they can contend. However, keeping Reaves off the table makes landing a superstar significantly more difficult.
Los Angeles currently has only three future first-round picks, one second-round pick, swap rights, and a handful of young players with limited trade value—not a deep pool of assets.
Team and league sources believe the Lakers and Reaves will likely agree on a reasonable extension, but if another team offers a massive contract, Reaves could walk. Executives around the league estimate that based on his production, age, and a thin free-agent market for similar talent, Reaves could command around $40 million per year.
Only the Bulls and Nets have enough cap space to offer a max deal outright. Teams like the Jazz and Hawks would need to clear space first. Sources say Reaves will also weigh championship contention heavily in his decision.
Over the past two seasons, Reaves averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. The only other players with at least 100 games and comparable numbers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Cade Cunningham, LaMelo Ball, Doncic, and LeBron James.
The Lakers front office must determine whether Reaves’ contract fits their long-term plan. Team executives say overall roster balance will be the key factor in the decision.
Reaves is not the only free-agent issue for the Lakers. LeBron James’ decision is even more complex. Even at 41 and entering his 23rd NBA season, James remains a high-impact winning player.
After missing the first 14 games with a nerve issue, he missed only one more back-to-back set the rest of the season before a role shift in March. He earned another All-Star selection.
Questions about whether he would sacrifice touches to help younger players contend were answered by his play on the court.
If James decides to play another season, salary is the biggest hurdle. After 23 years of rising annual pay, that streak will likely end this summer. How much he takes less depends partly on how aggressively the Lakers reshape the roster.
Team and league sources say both James and the Lakers want to continue together. Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss have publicly expressed hope that James finishes his career in Los Angeles. However, the Warriors and Cavaliers are likely to recruit the all-time scoring leader for an immediate title push—especially if James feels the Lakers are rebuilding without him as the focal point.
Insiders believe that even if the Lakers retain both James and Reaves this summer, they still have paths to significantly upgrade the roster, though the margin for error is very thin.
