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The 2026 NBA offseason will be an important one for the Los Angeles Lakers as they look to build the team around star guard Luka Doncic.
When it comes to L.A.’s offseason, the team’s top priority was recently revealed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, and it doesn’t involve LeBron James, who is on the last year of his current contract.
Re-signing Austin Reaves is top priority for Lakers over the offseason
According to McMenamin, the Lakers top offseason priority is locking up star guard Austin Reaves on a new contract. Reaves has a player option for the 2026-27 that he’s likely to turn down and assuming he does, he’ll be in line for a massive new deal in free agency.
From McMenamin:
"This offseason, the franchise's top priority is re-signing Austin Reaves, who will likely decline his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27 to pursue a long-term extension. ... Before injuring his left calf on Christmas, Reaves was averaging a career-high 26.6 points and shooting better than 50% from the field."
Reaves will assuredly have other suitors, but the fifth-year guard has previously expressed a desire to remain in L.A., despite the fact that he turned down an extension offer from the team last offseason.
"I want to be in L.A. I love it," Reaves said in November. "Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn't mean that I'm trying to go get a f---ing gigantic number that don't make sense. I want to be here, I want to win. I want to do everything that can help this organization be better."
The feeling seems to be mutual, so it seems likely that Reaves will remain in L.A., albeit with a much larger contract.
As for James' future, that remains more of a question mark. A recent report from McMenamin suggests that the Lakers would welcome James back next season, but it remains to be seen if that's what James wants to do.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer has been non-committal about his future, as recently as All-Star weekend.
"I want to live," James said to media members. "When I know, you guys will know. I don't know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that's all."
The way the current campaign plays out could impact the decision-making process for all involved parties. So, it's tough to make too many predictions before we see how the Lakers fare in the coming months.
One thing is for sure, though. It's shaping up to be an eventful offseason in L.A.
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