sensationally said recently the Lakers should trade Reaves for Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/a> in comments that reportedly weren\u2019t well received within the four walls of the Lakers.<\/p>\nWhile James distanced himself from those remarks, it\u2019s not the first time Paul has raised eyebrows on his new \u2018Game Over\u2019 podcast.<\/p>\n
The powerful Klutch Sports executive has also said he doesn\u2019t think the Lakers are good enough to win the title right now.<\/p>\n
Perhaps Paul is just being brutally honest. But it\u2019s unusual comments from one of the most powerful managers in the NBA regarding his number one client and the biggest name in the game\u2019s team. Which, despite the Lakers\u2019 flaws, they\u2019re still in the thick of the playoff hunt. <\/p>\n
Oh, and Paul also manages Anthony Davis \u2014 the centerpiece for the Dallas Mavericks in the Doncic trade that blindsided everyone. Not to mention James is on an expiring contract for the first time in his career, so it feels like there\u2019s a power shift happening in LA.<\/p>\n
It highlights the funky situation the Lakers find themselves in.<\/p>\n
LeBron James Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic (Photo by Keith Birmingham\/MediaNews Group\/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
There\u2019s always an added focus on the Lakers, because they\u2019re the Lakers. But this is a particularly unique situation and period at large as they navigate a transition from one era \u2013 and superstar \u2013 to another and the growing pains that come with it. All with the backdrop of new ownership recently taking over the team, to throw another interesting ingredient into the mix.<\/p>\n
So what lies ahead for the purple and gold?<\/p>\n
Put simply, they can\u2019t afford to mess up the roster around Doncic, the new face of the franchise, and what happens from here. <\/p>\n
Doncic landed in their lap last February in possibly the greatest stroke of luck in sports history and a trade that will never make sense. It\u2019s as if a winning lotto ticket fell down from the heavens onto their front door in the form of a bona fide top five NBA superstar from Slovenia.<\/p>\n
Nabbing Doncic after the Lakers have had James as their key cornerstone and Kobe Bryant before him is some coup. Poor Lakers fans, hey?<\/p>\n
A trade for Davis has created something of a Frankenstein roster for Redick with too many ball handlers and a lack of wings and defensive players in general. No matter, it was a miracle deal too good to refuse. It\u2019s why they\u2019re still in a grace period and it\u2019ll take more than 12 months to get the supporting cast around Doncic right as they rebuild on the run.<\/p>\n
More specifically, a supporting cast that should revolve around Doncic and Reaves \u2013 but not necessarily James, So for the first time, the Lakers shouldn\u2019t feel beholden to James \u2014 or those close to the 41-year old \u2013 as impressive as it is what he\u2019s doing in a record 23rd season.<\/p>\n
Granted, we\u2019re yet to really see Doncic, Reaves and James in the same team together for a meaningful period due to injury. In fact, the trio have played in eight of a possible 41 games together this season. James missed the start of the campaign due to a Sciatica issue and Reaves was recently struck down with a calf setback.<\/p>\n
But again, this was always going to be a transition period anyway. <\/p>\n
It sure beats a future with an ageing James in his twilight years and the oft-injured Davis next to Reaves.<\/p>\n
Heat stun OKC while Pistons beat Pacers | 01:34<\/p>\n
With that in mind, gearing up for the future, instead of pushing for what would inevitably be an early-ish playoff exit in the loaded Western Conference this season, should be the direction they take. Even if they\u2019re wasting an MVP-level season from Doncic, the NBA\u2019s scoring leader.<\/p>\n
In LA\u2019s most important piece of business post the Doncic trade, the 26-year old was locked away until 2028 with a three-year $165 million extension. Tick. <\/p>\n
However Reaves\u2019 future isn\u2019t certain as he prepares to enter free agency.<\/p>\n
Reaves was in the midst of an All-Star breakout season before James returned to the court in a leap that\u2019s added serious dollars to his looming massive payday this off-season, and undoubtably, more suitors.<\/p>\n
The 27-year old star guard, who\u2019s being paid $13 million this season in what might well be the best value deal in the entire NBA, can opt out of that contract and become an unrestricted free agent in the US summer. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s reportedly eligible for a five-year $241 million extension with the Lakers, or he can sign a four-year, $178 million deal elsewhere.<\/p>\n
From a financial standpoint, it puts LA is in the box seat to retain Reaves, who will clearly draw huge interest among rival teams. <\/p>\n
That includes the Utah Jazz, according to NBA analyst Kevin O\u2019Connor. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Utah Jazz are going to be a team that has big interest in Austin Reaves this summer,\u201d O\u2019Connor said on his podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are going to be teams that make a big max offer for Reaves, and he\u2019s going to have that choice. So the Lakers \u2014 like, Rich Paul\u2019s not saying it \u2014 but I\u2019m sure Rich Paul has that same exact information about where Reaves could go this off-season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Austin Reaves is about to become a free agent (Photo by David Crane\/MediaNews Group\/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Unless Reaves would rather get out of the bright lights of LA and spread his wings as a true No. 1 option elsewhere, like Utah, to see how many levels he can go up.<\/p>\n
Like we saw from James Harden when he was traded from the OKC Thunder to the Houston Rockets in 2012 and he became a bona fide MVP.<\/p>\n
But O\u2019Connor said that\u2019s \u201cnever going to happen\u201d for Reaves in LA as the No. 2 option next to Doncic and his heliocentric style, even if you \u201celiminate LeBron from the equation today\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t happen with Jalen Brunson, it didn\u2019t happen with any co-star (Doncic) has ever had. Austin Reaves will have to take a backseat to Luka,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless Luka were willing to move off the ball, like he did for Real Madrid prior to entering the NBA. It\u2019s just unrealistic to expect that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Austin Reaves seems to enjoy playing with Luka and Luka seems to enjoy playing with him. But ultimately, it depends on his own aspirations.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the Lakers had an inkling Reaves was going to walk, they might be best served trading him before the February deadline to get something in return. Instead of potentially losing him for nothing.<\/p>\n
And there\u2019s legitimate question marks around whether a backcourt pairing of Doncic and Reaves can work defensively, as explosive as they are on the other end of the court. <\/p>\n
But clearly, you\u2019d still prefer to keep Reaves and make defensive upgrades around him and Doncic. <\/p>\n
Which brings us to the upcoming trade deadline. If the Lakers are planning to make any key moves, they should be with an eye on finding pieces that fit and will help them long-term \u2014 not necessarily for a push this season. <\/p>\n
LA has been linked to defensive specialists like New Orleans\u2019 Herb Jones and Sacramento\u2019s Keon Ellis, who make plenty of sense given the team\u2019s main issues have been on the defensive end. Fellow Pelican Trey Murphy would be the dream addition, though he\u2019d be much pricier and it\u2019s hard to say if he\u2019s even gettable.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also been reports the Lakers are shopping their 2032 first-round pick for multiple first-rounders with less value in an attempt to spread their asset pool. <\/p>\n
That could mimic a trade the Phoenix Suns made last year, when they moved an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for first-rounders in 2025, 2027 and 2029 that are all the least favourable of multiple teams.<\/p>\n
If the Lakers can\u2019t find create more flexibility with their picks, they\u2019re somewhat limited with how much they can improve their roster if they wanted to take a big swing. At least until the off-season. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s when they\u2019ll have the added flexibility to trade three first-round picks in 2026, 2031 and 2033 in addition to three pick swaps, which could be seen as six first-round assets available for a major move.<\/p>\n
Whereas right now, the Lakers can only deal one first-rounder in either 2031 or 2032 due to the Stepien Rule.<\/p>\n
In other words, they can either make micro moves on the fringes now, or save their trade chips for a bigger swing or to keep their powder dry in general.<\/p>\n
Dunk of the year? FOUR Grizzlies STUNNED | 00:40<\/p>\n
Speaking of the off-season, a big call looms on James\u2019 future.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s three options; he calls time on his legendary career, stays with the Lakers, or pursues a move to another team. <\/p>\n
Could another Cavaliers reunion be on the cards? A move to cross-town rivals Clippers? The Warriors, Knicks and Mavericks are other teams that always seem to come up as potential destinations. <\/p>\n
Former teammate Richard Jefferson suggested those close to James are as in the dark as ever about his plans.<\/p>\n
Jefferson compared it to when arguably the greatest player of all time planned his infamous first NBA move from Cleveland to Miami in 2010 \u2013 also known as \u2018The Decision\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first time ever since we\u2019ve been in the same friend group and circle, I truly don\u2019t have an idea of what he is doing,\u201d Jefferson said on the Zach Lowe Show.<\/p>\n
\ufeff\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like \u2018The Decision\u2019 … even him going back to Cleveland caught everybody off guard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know where he\u2019s going, we don\u2019t talk about it. He might be retiring. They\u2019re doing a year 23 patch on his jersey … some of these things might lend to retirement. We don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s such a big piece, adding him to any situation just makes it different … if we\u2019re making stuff up, purely hypothetical, I would see Cleveland or LA as the places I would see him end his career.\u201d<\/p>\n
The one thing you could bank is that, if James returned to the Lakers, it\u2019d be for significantly less than his current expiring $52 million deal. <\/p>\n
He\u2019s no longer a priority, certainly not over Doncic and Reaves. Plus LA couldn\u2019t possibly afford to have the trio all on max deals and put a good enough roster around them, as we\u2019ve learnt this season.<\/p>\n
Unless they can retain James on the cheap, moving on from the legendary superstar might be the best thing for the Lakers to officially mark the beginning of a new era. And to get away from some of the unwanted storylines that surround a player of his status. <\/p>\n
Does James still want to be the guy? Or is he comfortable taking a backseat to Doncic and Reaves? The latter might be his best pathway to contending for more rings.<\/p>\n
Could LeBron James\u2019 days for the Lakers be numbered? (Photo by Harry How\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Beyond James and Reaves, the list of looming 2026 free agents isn\u2019t super interesting, in terms of starpower. It\u2019s headlined by Trae Young, James Harden, Kristaps Porzingis, Isaiah Hartenstein, Draymond Green, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell.<\/p>\n
The Lakers are about to have multiple other key rotation members come off their books too including Rui Hachimura, DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart. They can open up a maximum $80 million in cap space (AUD $119 million) and will have a spate of roster voids to fill, most notably at centre.<\/p>\n
Big decisions loom. But fast forward further ahead, and the 2027 free agency class is where it gets real interesting.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s possible that Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo hit the market. Other potential 2027 free agents include Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Paul George, Donovan Mitchell, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Michael Porter Jr and Julius Randle, to name a few.<\/p>\n
You sense that 2027 off-season is when the Laker will look to go big and the planning and manoeuvring to ensure they have the necessary cap space for it begins now. It should\u2019ve already started. They\u2019d ideally find another superstar that fits the same timeline as Doncic, so some of those names mightn\u2019t suit. <\/p>\n
Then again, when you\u2019re the Lakers, it\u2019s almost as if free agency is open 24\/7, given their ability to draw superstars as a big-market franchise. Case in point, Doncic. So you couldn\u2019t rule out them luring other big fish in trades.<\/p>\n
In saying that, in the current NBA climate, building around no more than two superstars and rounding out the rest of a roster with gun mid-priced options might be the best way to go about it.<\/p>\n
Not only do the new roster constraints make it nearly impossible to unify three or more superstars, but the failures of the likes of the LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets building super teams in recent years are cautionary tales.<\/p>\n
Whatever way the Lakers go, building around No. 77 is some starting point that has them better positioned than the majority of the league. History shows you need a top five or so level superstar to be a real chance of competing for NBA silverware.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s exactly what the equal most successful team in league history will be aspiring to do. It\u2019s now just about steering through the waters of this in-between period, from whatever they are now, to then. <\/p>\n
They got their lucky break and a direct bridge from the James era to another era of potential glory. Time to maximise it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s been a funny old season for the LA Lakers. From being on track for 50 wins, despite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424563,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[137891,223107,2095,16107,88510,64,63,689,223105,217082,684,11405,33204,4810,88710,50265,6115,217061,223124,86176,15424,223110,7214,7901,223109,800,223117,10031,2755,19703,223112,2105,176776,36272,223126,223125,7221,46028,7902,223106,74678,20449,1175,30415,7216,18233,223120,223111,13800,7896,223116,223121,7232,13339,223115,223123,5140,3904,223113,102403,590,217044,3879,2613,32221,2041,2067,677,12293,3371,5673,5548,43987,223104,31650,223119,7185,127769,223114,217041,75882,223127,1124,85,127055,17205,223122,187568,16044,223118,2614,11898,223108],"class_list":["post-424562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-agency-class","tag-all-time-points-ladder","tag-america","tag-anthony-davis","tag-asset-pool","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-backcourt-pairing","tag-ball-handlers","tag-ben-cotton","tag-box-seat","tag-breakout-season","tag-bright-lights","tag-calf-setback","tag-cap-space","tag-cleveland","tag-clutch-games","tag-david-crane","tag-defensive-end","tag-defensive-players","tag-defensive-specialists","tag-detroit-pistons","tag-draymond-green","tag-dream-addition","tag-espn-inc","tag-fiery-press-conferences","tag-first-round-pick","tag-florida","tag-fred-vanvleet","tag-friend-group","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-grace-period","tag-growing-pains","tag-heat-stun","tag-history-shows","tag-indiana-pacers","tag-isaiah-hartenstein","tag-jimmy-butler","tag-joe-murphy","tag-julius-randle","tag-karl-anthony-towns","tag-kawhi-leonard","tag-keon-ellis","tag-kevin-durant","tag-kevin-oconnor","tag-key-moves","tag-key-rotation-members","tag-kobe-bryant","tag-lebron-james","tag-legitimate-question-marks","tag-los-angeles-daily-news","tag-los-angeles-lakers","tag-louisiana","tag-mandatory-copyright-notice","tag-medianews-group-inc","tag-miami","tag-michael-porter","tag-multiple-first-rounders","tag-multiple-teams","tag-nba","tag-negative-point-differential","tag-new-orleans","tag-new-zealand-warriors","tag-norman-powell","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-oceania","tag-ohio","tag-oklahoma","tag-oklahoma-city","tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-pasadena","tag-patched-together-roster","tag-paul-george","tag-paycom-center","tag-phoenix-suns","tag-pick-swaps","tag-playoff-hunt","tag-real-interesting","tag-richard-jefferson","tag-roster-constraints","tag-south-australia","tag-sports","tag-starting-point","tag-steph-curry","tag-supporting-cast","tag-trade-chips","tag-trade-deadline","tag-tronto-kevin-durant","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-utah-jazz","tag-winning-lotto-ticket"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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