The Los Angeles Lakers have turned their attention to the offseason. Quite a massive offseason, that is.
The Lakers’ season ended earlier this week in a Game 4 loss to the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It marked the second time in four years the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs.
But they had a promising season by all accounts.
The Lakers were rolling at the right time — rattling off a 16-2 record in March — before two ill-timed injuries marred the outlook of the season. Still, L.A. can walk out of the 2025-26 campaign knowing it has some work to do before entering the same conversation as the Thunder.
Los Angeles is in line to make some in-house moves this summer, but the NBA offseason has demonstrated the unexpected far too many times.
Over in Milwaukee is a disgruntled former NBA Most Valuable Player seeking a new team. Could the Lakers be his next destination?
According to NBA insider Dave McMenamin, the Lakers could carve out a path to acquire two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer.
“I don’t think [Antetokounmpo] is coming to the Lakers,” McMenamin said Wednesday in an interview on the “Rich Eisen Show.”
“[Acquiring Antetokounmpo] would have to be [through] an Austin Reaves sign-and-trade to get the numbers right. They’ll [the Lakers] have draft picks available to trade this summer.”
“There is a path; I don’t think it’s a likely path, but it’s a path to it.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Possible, But Lakers Await Decision
Potential trades scenarios are something the Lakers will gauge later. They’ll first await what decision LeBron James makes.
James, 41, is the oldest player in the NBA and just capped off a record 23rd season. Numbers show that James is still an elite player, but the four-time MVP has been directly asked about his plans to play another season at the conclusion of each of the last four seasons.
Whether James decides to return is massive for the Lakers.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 11: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
If James commits to a 24th season, the Lakers would then need to decide if offering James — who will enter unrestricted free agency in July — another contract suits the team’s future.
On Tuesday, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka gushed about James’ legacy and what he has meant to the Lakers over the last eight seasons, moving one to believe the Lakers would be all in on having James back.
“We probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game,” Pelinka said of James. “He’s given so much to his teammates, to this organization. The thing we want to do more than anything else is to honor him back.”
Signing James to a new contract would complicate subsequent roster decisions. The Lakers understand they need to improve multiple spots on the roster before next season.
Reports have suggested James would need to accept a significant pay cut if he wants to remain a Laker, but it is unknown how much money James would settle for if he wants to continue with the franchise.
Another Decision on Austin Reaves
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves drives past a defender during a playoff game, as his rising value and upcoming free agency decision draw league-wide attention.
The Lakers also have some sorting out to do with Reaves in a situation very different from James’.
Reaves, 27, is expected to decline his roughly $15 million player-option for the 2026-27 season in hopes of securing a much larger contract.
McMenamin noted he doesn’t believe the Lakers will offer Reaves a five-year max contract worth north of $235 million, but others have reported the Lakers are expecting to get a new deal done with Reaves this summer.
What the team decides to do with Reaves and what James decides to do with his NBA career will go a long way in how mobile the Lakers can be in the free agency and trade markets.
Lakers Receive Major Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Scenario Involving Austin Reaves