Headlines continue to surround the Los Angeles Lakers despite their playoff exit, with offseason roster speculation already ramping up.
The Lakers have several key contracts nearing expiration, including those of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, and could potentially enter the offseason with close to $50 million in available cap space.
Bleacher Report analyst Eric Pincus believes Los Angeles is unlikely to re-sign James at his current $52.6 million salary.
Instead, Pincus floated the possibility of a deal worth roughly $20 million annually, describing it as “the best he can do” as part of what he called an “inevitable discount.”
Such a move would give the Lakers greater financial flexibility to continue building around Luka Doncic as Rob Pelinka and the front office attempt to construct a true contender.
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Pincus outlined a trade scenario that would send Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Yves Missi from the New Orleans Pelicans to Los Angeles in an effort to strengthen multiple areas of the roster.
In exchange, the Pelicans would receive Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a 2031 first-round pick, and a 2033 first-round pick.
Much of the Lakers’ offseason flexibility could ultimately depend on the outcome of Reaves’ unrestricted free agency.
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.”
“To make everything work with James, Murphy and the rest of the roster, Reaves’ deal would start at $34 million. A four-year contract would total $152.3 million; a five-year contract would total $197.2 million,” Pincus wrote.
“Either is too much for Reaves to turn down; an impressive payday for an undrafted player.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin previously reported that Los Angeles is not expected to aggressively pursue another marquee superstar outside of James, despite ongoing speculation surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Instead, the organization is expected to prioritize retaining important contributors such as Reaves, Luke Kennard, and backup center Jaxson Hayes while targeting complementary additions to improve the roster around Doncic.
LA Could Face Difficult Financial Balancing Act
Pincus also outlined how the Lakers could potentially retain players such as Rui Hachimura, Kennard, and Deandre Ayton.
Hachimura is expected to draw significant interest after shooting 44.4% from three-point range during the regular season.
Across 10 playoff appearances, the 28-year-old converted an eye-catching 56.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc on 5.8 attempts per contest.
Pincus projected Hachimura to receive roughly $19 million annually, a slight increase from his current $18.2 million salary.
However, retaining the rest of the roster could become financially complicated afterward.
“The Lakers may not be able to afford more than $7.5 million for Kennard. Both Kennard and Ayton can opt out of their final years to re-sign at the maximum allowed with non-Bird rights: $9.7 million and $5.1 million, respectively,” the Bleacher Report analyst added.
Pincus also suggested it could be assumed the Lakers would retain Bronny James and Nick Smith Jr., leaving two veteran minimum roster spots available entering the season.
One of those spots could potentially go to Hayes, leaving another open to preserve roster flexibility.
If Los Angeles were somehow able to execute such moves, the Lakers would retain stars in James and Reaves, keep important contributors such as Hachimura and Kennard, while adding significant depth through Murphy, Jones, and Missi.
In addition, the team would finally field a much deeper center rotation featuring Missi, Ayton, and Hayes, an area of the roster that has faced scrutiny for several seasons.
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