For years, the Los Angeles Lakers lived by LeBron James’ clock. Every trade and signing, every statement from the front office was judged by the same question: could this extend the championship window of the greatest player of his generation?
This summer, the Lakers are now operating on Luka Dončić’s clock. The front office now understands that they need to build the roster with the long term in mind.
The Center Luka Needs
Dončić is asking the Lakers to bring in a top-level center and make the team more competitive. The Lakers need a physical presence around the rim, someone capable of holding his own against the size and skill of the Western Conference that includes Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Sengun, Chet Holmgren…
Luka has played some of the best basketball of his career when he has had a vertical threat next to him, a center who does not need to demand the ball to change the offense, but only needs to roroll hard to the rim and finish. That type of player creates room for Luka’s drives, punishes double teams and forces the defense to keep retreating toward the basket.
They have first round picks available in trades and significant room under the salary cap. In reality, that room could disappear after only two deals. LeBron’s decision is still pending, while Austin Reaves could receive a new contract worth as much as $241 million. The Lakers also need clarity on the status of Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart and the rest of the rotation. Ayton and Smart both have player options worth a combined $13.5 million, while the Lakers’ current payroll stands at around $105 million, including Reaves’ existing contract and excluding LeBron.
LeBron’s Contract Could Define the Summer
LeBron’s situation is a delicate one. If he decides to play a 24th NBA season, staying with the Lakers would be the most logical outcome. He could sign a deal with the Lakers worth as much as $58 million for next season, but the expectation around the league is that his actual salary could be closer to $30 million. A deal in that range would allow Los Angeles to keep him while preserving more flexibility.
At this stage of his career, playing alongside a dominant creator could actually work in LeBron’s favor, reducing his workload during the first part of the season and allowing him to keep more in reserve for the games that really matter.
The bigger question is how the Lakers will approach the situation. If LeBron’s contract takes up too much room under the salary cap, they may lose the opportunity to address the weaknesses that have already cost them in the postseason. James remains an enormous factor, but the roster can no longer be built entirely around him.
The Austin Reaves Decision
Then there is Austin Reaves, the Lakers’ other major decision this summer. Going from a rotation player to one of the three most important players on the team, he is a secondary creator and a shooter, but also someone who can create offense when a possession begins to break down.
The Lakers can offer him more money and a longer contract than any other team, specifically $241 million over five years, while the most anyone else can offer is $179 million over four seasons. That gives Los Angeles an advantage, but it could also become a trap. Paying Reaves as one of the team’s main pillars makes sense. At the same time, if the Lakers give him that much money, there is a real danger that the rest of the roster will remain too thin.
The Lakers want Reaves to stay. He is a valuable player, but his value will be at its highest only if the Lakers put the right structure around him and Dončić.
The Price of Luka’s Ideal Big Man
Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler are the clearest examples of what Dončić is looking for. They are young, strong, useful defensively and still have room to grow alongside him. The problem is that players like that are not easy to acquire, and their teams have little reason to let them go without receiving a serious package in return. Duren, for example, is entering restricted free agency and could realistically sign a contract worth between $180 million and $200 million over five years, or between $36 million and $40 million per season. He could lower his asking price to around $150 million, but he could also push it as high as $220 million. Walker Kessler recently turned down a five year, $140 million offer from Utah and is looking for a deal closer to the range Duren is expected to seek.
The More Realistic Center Options
That is why Mitchell Robinson and Robert Williams become more practical alternatives. Robinson brings rebounding, physicality and rim protection. Williams, if healthy, provides athleticism and defensive instincts that can change the way a team plays. Daniel Gafford may be the most interesting option as a model Luka already knows, because he is the kind of center who brings almost everything Dončić needs. He is not the biggest name available, but the basketball fit makes sense.
The Lakers do not have to find a perfect solution this summer. If they settle for half-measures, they are unlikely to satisfy Luka Dončić. He needs to be on a competitive team with a real chance to chase a championship. The prime of his career cannot be spent waiting for the market to open on its own.
Dončić has made the priorities clear, to find a quality center, retain enough shooting talent, improve the defense and stop wasting time.
At a point when Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and others have already achieved something significant, Luka needs to feel that he has a real chance to accomplish more than a single appearance in the NBA Finals.
