What’s next for the Lakers after losing in 1st round of the playoffs – NBA
2025-05-01T06:11:51Z
L.A. prepares for an adventurous summer — which could see some trades — after a disappointing finish to its season.
LOS ANGELES — Executing a midseason trade that shook up the league and caused a major reinvention to two franchises? That was easy.
Now comes the tricky part for the Lakers: Making themselves a championship contender with Luka Dončić — and perhaps also with LeBron James, who’s on the clock with midnight approaching.
In these restrictive salary cap times, that’s a daunting task for a franchise that has always managed to grab the trophy in the past. Barriers have never deterred the Lakers from winning at least one ring in every decade except the 1960s (when the franchise moved to L.A.) and the 1990s (although L.A. did reach the NBA Finals in 1991).
Speaking of moves: the Dončić trade changed the dynamics for the Lakers in James’ twilight, which seems to stretch forever but ultimately will meet an expiration date. They’re now blessed with a 26-year-old generational player and also one who turns 41 in December.
In their first season together, Dončić and James raised the bar and, perhaps a bit unexpectedly, cleared it immediately by grabbing the No. 3 seed in the West before losing Wednesday in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.
Despite the sour ending, that was the appetizer.
Now comes the part where well-nourished Lakers fans start asking for the main dish … along with second and third helpings.
What do the Lakers do now?
Firstly, the player in question isn’t James or Dončić. It’s Austin Reaves.
Any significant cosmetic change on the roster begins with Reaves, their most valuable trade asset and perhaps their only real asset, period, aside from the two who aren’t going anywhere.
They can’t move mountains unless they move on from a creative, 26-year-old guard with one of the friendliest salaries in the league, at $14 million next season and a $15 million option for the following season (hint: He’ll opt out regardless and look for a hefty extension).
Reaves has carved out a very nice and potentially lengthy NBA career, going from undrafted player to solid NBA starter. His ability to create off the dribble, break ankles, shoot from distance and draw fouls with a reliable pump fake has seen his stock soar around the league.
Surprisingly, the Lakers have managed to keep Reaves over the last few seasons (and especially from being included in the Dončić deal with Dallas). That was a major point of contention among Mavericks fans and league observers, how Mavs GM Nico Harrison — who negotiated exclusively with the Lakers — couldn’t get Reaves and therefore resolve its backcourt hole created by Dončić’s departure.
All credit to Rob Pelinka for that. But now the Lakers’ GM, who recently received a contract extension, will need to be super-creative if he plans to keep Reaves and add major talent.
So here are some options for the Lakers:
• Trade Reaves. It’s their only real way to add quality size, which is the Lakers’ most pressing need. Besides, the Lakers already have two players who replicate what Reaves gives them — Dončić and James, both creative themselves, only to a higher level.
Lakers coach JJ Redick essentially went without a center during the Timberwolves playoff series, and didn’t even start one in Game 5. And there’s no better option currently on the roster than Jaxson Hayes.
The center position would’ve been resolved had the Lakers agreed to keep Mark Williams, an athletic 7-footer with a high ceiling, in a midseason trade with the Hornets. But the center reportedly failed his physical, causing Pelinka to get cold feet and rescind the deal.
That put the Lakers back to square one in their search for a rebounder and rim protector to replace Anthony Davis, sacrificed in the Dončić deal. A top-shelf center will cost them Reaves at least — and that’s if any are on the market.
As for those whom the Lakers might get for less, the Toronto Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl, the Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler, the Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vučević and the Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton could be available.
If Reaves stays put, then the Lakers might hunt for centers with a limited shelf life, including veterans Brook Lopez and Clint Capela (both are unrestricted free agents this summer).
Bottom line? This team desperately craves a big man, and based on Redick’s playoff rotation, one they trust isn’t currently on the roster.
• Stick with player development. The Lakers were applauded when Dalton Knecht fell to them in last June’s draft, then started his rookie season on fire, playing his way into the starting lineup.
He then played his way out of the lineup (and, later, the rotation entirely) mainly due to defensive lapses. The Lakers even included him initially in the Williams trade in February.
They could develop him this summer and hope he returns next season new and improved, and if so, that would create two solid options. They could keep him and benefit from his outside shooting, or swap him at the trade deadline, where perhaps an unexpected player comes on the market.
Do the Lakers believe Rui Hachimura has reached his peak? Same with Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent and others? If the Lakers stick with that supporting cast next season and none have another level to their game, there’s the chance of repeating the same overall result — a team capable of winning 45-50 games but not much more.
• Hope for a “disgruntled star.” It happens almost every year: a star player asks for a trade and tries to manipulate where he’s headed. The most recent example was De’Aaron Fox, who maneuvered out of Sacramento to San Antonio, his preferred destination.
The Lakers are always a destination, even more with prime Dončić around.
Wilt Chamberlain had the Lakers on his wish-list in the early 1970s, then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Shaquille O’Neal, then James, then Davis. There’s a trend here.
The chance to seize James’ final years and also play next to Dončić — both of whom pass the ball — could appeal to a star who’s ready for a change of scenery.
• Don’t place any urgency on winning with James. If the Lakers are all-in for Dončić and the future and nothing else, then they’ll ignore any urge to quicken the process to salvage James’ last season or two. That means keeping and extending Reaves and then adding pieces gradually, over the next few years, whether James is still active or not.
So that’s the scenario as the Lakers prepare for an adventurous offseason in their quest to form a championship nucleus.
It’s a good problem to have, juggle and address. In these restrictive money times, hoarding two superstars — let alone three — is difficult. When a team possesses two, they’re instantly a title contender, provided the rest of the rotation is productive (even if there’s no third potential All-Star).
When the Lakers made the trade for Dončić, it was with the future in mind, given that Davis was 32. The future and the process start now.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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