The Los Angeles Lakers’ crushing second-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder could have major ramifications for the franchise moving forward.
Los Angeles now enters what projects to be a pivotal offseason, with the futures of LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and several key role players all uncertain.
Speculation surrounding potential roster upgrades continues to intensify, including a possible blockbuster pursuit of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
At the same time, meaningful roster changes could also be on the horizon as Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office search for ways to build a team capable of competing with Oklahoma City.
Lakers Urged to Consider Major Roster Shake-Up
ClutchPoints’ Enzo Flojo recently identified a player he believes the Lakers should move on from this offseason as part of a significant roster overhaul.
Flojo described the change as “unavoidable,” arguing that Luka Doncic currently does not have the proper “ecosystem” around him to maximize his impact.
“This next conversation will be painful for Lakers fans because Reaves remains one of the franchise’s most beloved players (assuming he stays on for the final year of his current contract),” he wrote. “Too bad emotional attachment cannot outweigh basketball reality.”
“The Thunder series exposed Reaves in devastating fashion. Playoff basketball is ultimately about survivability on both ends of the floor. Oklahoma City relentlessly hunted him defensively every chance they got.”
Flojo added that Reaves’ numbers during the Thunder series were “ugly,” while claiming “the eye test was even worse,” before criticizing his defensive impact and ball security.
He argued that Doncic needs to be paired with stronger perimeter defenders capable of easing pressure around him.
According to Flojo, “Reaves does neither.”
Across six playoff appearances spanning the end of the first-round series against the Houston Rockets and the second-round sweep against Oklahoma City, Reaves averaged 20.0 points per game.
However, he shot just 40.7% from the field and 25.7 % from three-point range, converting only nine of his 35 attempts from beyond the arc.
He also averaged 4.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 4.5 turnovers per contest.
Reaves finished with a -10.2 plus-minus rating during his time on the court and committed 27 turnovers across the six games.
Austin Reaves Expected to Command Major Payday
Reaves is currently in the third season of a four-year, $53.8 million contract that paid him $13.9 million during the 2025-26 campaign.
He also holds a $14.8 million player option, although he is widely expected to decline it in order to enter unrestricted free agency.
The 27-year-old has previously stated that he would like to remain with the Lakers and suggested that his next contract will not be solely about money.
Even so, he is expected to receive a substantial pay raise.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike and Sam Amick, Reaves could command as much as $40 million annually “due to a combination of his play, his age and, perhaps most importantly, a free-agent class completely devoid of players as productive as him in their prime.”
Whether Los Angeles would be willing to match that type of contract remains unclear.
Teams such as the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets could emerge as legitimate suitors, with both franchises projected to possess enough cap space to pursue Reaves aggressively.
The Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks have also reportedly shown “some interest” in the Lakers guard ahead of what is shaping up to be a significant offseason around the league.
Lakers Urged to Cut Ties With $53M Star Following ‘Ugly’ Playoff Series