When it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ unrestricted free agent class of 2026, star forward LeBron James has garnered most of the attention and headlines, and understandably so. This is LeBron James we’re talking about, after all.
But, James isn’t the only Lakers player headed for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Full List of Los Angeles Lakers 2026 Unrestricted Free Agents
In all, the Lakers will have five unrestricted free agents over the offseason, including James. Here’s the full list:
- LeBron James
- Maxi Kleber
- Luke Kennard
- Jaxson Hayes
- Rui Hachimura
Obviously James is the most intriguing name on the list, but all of those guys played meaningful minutes for the Lakers this past season. So, it will be very interesting to see which ones they decide to bring back.
When it comes to James specifically, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka made it clear that the Lakers would like to have him continue his career with the team.
“We probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game. He’s given so much to his teammates, to this organization. And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back,” Pelinka said of James at his end-of-season media availability.
“Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster. That’s a blessing in itself just with what he does.”
Lakers Have Three Guys With Player Options for Next Season
In addition to the players they have headed for unrestricted free agency, the Lakers also have several guys who have player options for next season that they could turn down in favor of free agency. This group is headlined by Austin Reaves and also includes Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton.
It remains to be seen what Smart and Ayton will do, but Reaves is widely expected to turn down his option in favor of a new deal with the Lakers. Pelinka confirmed that both sides plan to move forward together.
“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said of Reaves. “And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. … Both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here.”
With so many key contributors facing uncertain futures in L.A., it promises to be an eventful offseason for the Lakers.
Full List of Lakers’ 2026 Unrestricted Free Agents, Including LeBron James