The Los Angeles Lakers already have their post-LeBron James centerpiece in Luka Doncic.
The harder question is what they are willing to pay for the pieces around him — and the Club 520 crew sees a potential problem if Austin Reaves is treated like Doncic’s long-term No. 2.
During a discussion about the Lakers’ future, former NBA guard Jeff Teague and the Club 520 panel questioned whether a core built around Doncic and Reaves would be enough once James is no longer the franchise’s primary stabilizer.
“No disrespect, I think he’s going to get paid a lot of money, but I don’t see any world where him and Luka are taking you anywhere when LeBron leaves,” the podcast said. “They need a third star for sure, it can’t just be them two and a bunch of fill-ins.”
The conversation later turned to the possibility of Reaves being valued as a major-money piece.
“Once LeBron leaves, if AR is your second star at 240, you have to trust he will be an All-Star,” the panel said. “I don’t look at him like I look at Kyrie Irving or Jalen Brunson.”
That is the real Lakers dilemma. Reaves has become one of the NBA’s best development stories, rising from undrafted guard to legitimate offensive weapon. But there is a difference between being a high-level complementary player and being paid — or depended on — like the second-best player on a championship team.
Austin Reaves’ Value Looks Different Next to Luka Doncic
Reaves’ skill set has obvious value next to Doncic. He can shoot, attack closeouts, run secondary actions and punish defenses that overload toward the Lakers’ new franchise star.
That kind of player matters.
But the Club 520 critique was not that Reaves is bad. It was that the Lakers’ ceiling changes dramatically if he is being asked to become something closer to Kyrie Irving, Jalen Brunson or another elite offensive co-star.
The Lakers have rarely operated as a franchise satisfied with “good enough.” If Doncic is the long-term engine, Los Angeles has to decide whether Reaves is best viewed as the No. 2 option, the No. 3 option or a trade chip in a larger roster swing.
That question becomes even more important because Doncic’s strengths and weaknesses are already clear. His offense can carry a franchise. He bends defenses, creates easy shots and raises the floor for role players. But the Lakers still need athleticism, defense, rim pressure and two-way balance around him.
A Doncic-Reaves pairing can work offensively. The concern is whether it gives the Lakers enough resistance defensively, especially against the kind of playoff teams that hunt mismatches and force guards into repeated actions.
Lakers’ Post-LeBron Plan Faces a Clear Test
The Club 520 crew framed the Lakers’ issue around life after James, and that is why the warning lands.
As long as James is still playing at a high level, Los Angeles has a buffer. He can organize possessions, punish mismatches, guard bigger wings in stretches and keep the Lakers afloat when the offense gets stagnant.
But when the franchise shifts fully into the Doncic era, the roster math gets less forgiving.
If Reaves is making star-level money, the Lakers would need him to produce like a star-level player in the games that decide seasons. That does not necessarily mean averaging 28 points. It does mean creating efficient offense when Doncic sits, holding up defensively against elite opponents and giving Los Angeles a second pressure point that defenses must fear every playoff possession.
The Club 520 panel was skeptical that Reaves fits that description.
“Going into the future for the Lakers, it doesn’t look like we are back to the top of the mountain with these two guys,” the show said. “The Lakers are not here to be .500 or win 42 games.”
That last line is the most important part of the debate. For many teams, a Doncic-Reaves foundation would be an exciting start. For the Lakers, the standard is different.
Lakers May Need a Third Star Around Doncic
The safest reading of the Club 520 comments is not that the Lakers should move on from Reaves. It is that they should be careful about locking themselves into a roster where Reaves’ contract and role make it harder to find the next major piece.
That third star does not have to be another ball-dominant guard. In fact, the cleaner fit may be a two-way wing or frontcourt player who can defend, finish and give Doncic a more balanced roster.
Reaves can still be part of that picture. His shot-making and feel are useful on any good team. But if the Lakers are paying him like the clear second pillar of the Doncic era, they need to be convinced that he can survive the highest-leverage playoff matchups.
That is where the $240 million discussion becomes bigger than a number.
It is really a question about identity. Are the Lakers building a team that maximizes Luka Doncic’s strengths, or are they simply keeping the best players they already have and hoping the fit sorts itself out?
Club 520’s warning was blunt, but it touched on the central issue facing Los Angeles: Doncic gives the Lakers a superstar foundation. What they put next to him will determine whether that foundation becomes another title window or just an expensive, entertaining team that falls short of the franchise’s standard.
Lakers Future Around Luka Doncic Questioned by Ex-NBA Guard