The Los Angeles Lakers made it clear who they think is the foundation for their future – Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
A new report says the front desk prioritizes two young guards over LeBron James as they shape the long-term roster.
Doncic and Reaves are entering career primes, and James, 40, has been the league's oldest active player for two consecutive seasons.
Although James remains one of the most skilled players in the game, his age, mileage and contract requirements have made the Lakers reconsider their path forward.
“The Lakers are more or less married to their current squad over the next two years, and the biggest factor is LeBron James,” detailed Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron. “They can wait for a year-long highest level contract over the 2026-27 years as they wait for the Hat Space Program. But Doncic and Reaves are two priorities for their search for stars.”
The pursuit of stars may involve chasing some of the famous figures in the league. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo are likely to strike unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2027, giving the Lakers a potential opening chance.
“The fascinating aspect of the possibility of hat space in 2026 is that the Lakers can take Reaves' $26.5 million hats as a placeholder to maximize its space and then re-sign it over the hat,” Gozlan explained. “For 2027, this will not be the case, as he has been re-signed. This makes it tricky to project the 2027 Cap Space because it requires estimating his salary.”
For now, the Lakers' future is obvious: built around Doncic and Reaves, while LeBron's situation has become smoother. James can still return to short-term deals, but this is no longer his team.
Read more: LeBron's role changes as Lakers hand over franchise to Luca Doncic
