The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a pivotal offseason. Fresh off a franchise-altering ownership transition, Los Angeles Dodgers‘ owner Mark Walter recently acquired controlling interest in the team via the Buss family, valuing the organization at roughly $10 billion, the Lakers now have more financial might than ever.
But as cost structures shift, the roster must adapt. Amid this backdrop, two pressing decisions have emerged: LeBron James‘ costly player option and Austin Reaves‘ uncertain role.
At the heart of Lakers cap strategy lies a monumental choice: will LeBron James, who holds a $54.1 million player option for the 2025-26 season, agree to a massive pay cut?
Insider Jovan Buha suggests shavings between $15 and $20 million could open room for complementary pieces. As Buha put it:
“This would require LeBron to take somewhere between a $15 to $20 million pay cut… If you get NAW with the nontaxpayer MLE and Bruce Brown with a minimum contract, that would be the way to get both of those guys.”
But Buha also added that a significant pay cut seems unlikely, leaving LA possibly trapped in its current cap dilemma.
Trade-off: youth vs. size
Meanwhile, the Lakers face a mounting roster quandary around Austin Reaves. The 27yearold guard exploded in 2024-25, averaging 20.2 points and 5.8 assists per game. Yet, role ambiguity hangs over him, especially given the presence of Luka Doncic at the same position. Buha argues that moving Reaves might be the most logical route:
“I would say trading him would be the better thing now… if it’s just purely like moving him to the bench and potentially playing him less and thinking that staggering him and Luka more is just going to be the better option, I don’t think that makes sense.”
Operating alongside Luka and LeBron, Reaves‘ defensive limitations are magnified, and the Lakers lack depth behind him. Having averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists last season, compromising his role or benching him outright would waste a highly productive asset.
Amid swirling speculation, Reaves himself has kept a steady approach. Speaking from his summer camp in Arkansas, he told Kait8 News:
“At this point, it’s not in my control. I want to be in L.A. If they want to trade me, we’ll start something new somewhere else… but like I said, I want to be in L.A. I want to play my whole career in L.A. I love it there.”
More recently, he told media, “We’re moving in the right direction,” expressing confidence in his role-and firmly dismissing retirement buzz as typical offseason noise.
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