Monday’s Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder might mark the end of this Lakers core as currently assembled. The Lakers trail 3-0 in the series, and several key players could become free agents this summer.
The biggest uncertainties surround LeBron James and Austin Reaves. LeBron will hit free agency after the NBA league year ends, while Reaves holds a player option that could also make him a free agent. Many assumed Reaves would re-sign with the Lakers, but his playoff struggles have sparked growing calls from fans for a trade.
Dave McMenamin, ESPN’s Lakers insider, discussed the potential summer moves for both stars on Monday’s “NBA Today.” He highlighted Reaves’ role alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic when healthy.
“The context of him as a player is when he has LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the court,” McMenamin said. “When you think about him, it’s not necessarily just as a No. 2 option.”
Doncic has been sidelined since April 2 with a hamstring strain, placing extra pressure on the rest of the roster. Without his scoring, playmaking, and ability to draw double teams, the Lakers have struggled to generate open looks.
McMenamin floated a scenario where Reaves might accept a slightly smaller contract, which could encourage LeBron to take a pay cut too, freeing up cap space for the Lakers to add more talent.
“I do think they have some kind of intrinsic buy-in from Austin to begin with, which could give a bit of a discount,” McMenamin said. “Then maybe you also get LeBron to give some sort of a discount if you know that he’s coming back, and then there is a further plan to fill out this roster.”
Reaves’ postseason performance has been inconsistent. During the regular season, he averaged 23.3 points per game on 49% shooting and 36% from three, but in this year’s playoffs he has slipped to 18.6 points on 38.7% overall and 21.4% from deep.
Teams like the Chicago Bulls or Brooklyn Nets could offer Reaves more than $40 million per year this summer. He would then need to decide between a larger role and bigger paycheck on a middling team or a more modest salary with a Lakers squad expected to remain playoff-caliber. Los Angeles is projected to have roughly $50 million in salary cap space this offseason.