2026 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Lakers
Even though they were quickly dispatched in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, the Lakers entered last summer on a positive note, still riding the high of their mid-season Luka Doncic acquisition. While Doncic spent the offseason getting into peak condition and committing to a multiyear extension with his new team, the front office began working to try to find the types of complementary pieces that would best suit Los Angeles' new franchise player.
Armed with no cap room and a limited number of valuable trade chips ahead of the 2025/26 season, the Lakers' options to fortify their roster were limited. As a result, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart, each of whom signed a short-term contract that paid in the $5-10MM range, headlined the club's relatively modest list of newcomers.
In the process of making room to fit those players below a first-apron hard cap, L.A. let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency and waived Jordan Goodwin, whose minimum-salary contract was mostly non-guaranteed.
The returns on those roster maneuvers during Doncic's first full season as a Laker were mostly positive. Ayton, a former No. 1 overall pick who likes to be a primary scoring option, wasn't a perfect fit for a Lakers team looking for a center willing to do more of the dirty work - including protecting the rim, rebounding, and setting screens - but he eventually bought into his role. Letting Finney-Smith get away to a conference rival earned the club some criticism at the time but ultimately paid off when his recovery from ankle surgery extended well past opening night, leading to a career-worst year in Houston.
LaRavia's three-point shooting dropped off in 2025/26, but he provided solid defense on the wing and was the only Laker to appear in all 82 regular season games. Los Angeles' biggest roster misstep was waiving Goodwin, who had a breakout year for the division-rival Suns. Still, that move was necessary to bring in Smart, whose own bounce-back season on a pretty team-friendly deal mitigated the effects of losing Goodwin.
Perhaps most importantly, the Lakers' "big three" of Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James ultimately thrived together, with James settling into a new role as a third option and letting the two younger guards function as the team's primary offensive weapons. Everything seemed to come together for the Lakers during a 16-2 stretch between the end of February and the end of March, with Doncic, Reaves, and James combining to average over 76 points and 20 assists per game while role players like Ayton, Smart, and Luke Kennard played some of their best basketball of the season.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, that stretch came to an abrupt end on April 2 when both Doncic and Reaves suffered significant muscle strains (a hamstring for Doncic and an oblique for Reaves) in a blowout loss to Oklahoma City. The Lakers still managed to pull out a first-round series win over Houston with Doncic sidelined and James reclaiming his role as the offensive alpha, but without their MVP available, the Lakers couldn't hang with the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals and were on the wrong end of a second-round sweep.
Sixteen months removed from the shocking Doncic blockbuster, a Lakers team looking to reestablish itself as a title contender can no longer get by on the residual good vibes of that deal, but there are more reasons for optimism entering the 2026 offseason. That March run represented a proof of concept for this version of the Lakers, and the front office will be better equipped this summer to pursue upgrades and reshape the roster.
The Lakers' Offseason Plans
James is an all-time great whose jersey will eventually hang from the rafters in Crypto.com Arena, but at age 41, he's no longer the most important part of the Lakers' future. In fact, he's not even their most important free agent of the 2026 offseason from a long-term perspective, given that Reaves is also on track to reach free agency once he formally passes on his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27.
Still, the Lakers' next move with James could largely determine which direction their offseason takes.
Giannis Reportedly Has ‘Questions’ About Heat’s Post-Trade Roster
The Heat appear to be the current frontrunner in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes, but the Bucks star may not be fully sold on Miami as his next destination, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Appearing Friday on The Dan Patrick Show (Twitter video link), the NBA insider revealed that Antetokounmpo has concerns about whether the Heat can remain competitive considering what they would have to give up in a potential trade.
“The noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some intel, discussion, kind of understanding, that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of a deal,” Amick said. “… You don’t want to gut your roster and go to the place you’re excited to be in and then have a hard time contending for a championship.”
The latest rumored offer has shooting guard Tyler Herro going to Milwaukee, along with young center Kel’el Ware and Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr. The Bucks would also receive the No. 13 pick in this year’s draft and two future first-rounders. Pick swaps and other players could also be involved, with only Bam Adebayo considered off limits.
Injuries limited Herro to 33 games this season, but he was Miami’s second-leading scorer at 20.5 PPG, while Jaquez tied for fourth at 15.4 PPG. Assuming free agent guard Norman Powell is re-signed, the post-trade offense would be focused around him, Antetokounmpo, Adebayo, and Andrew Wiggins, while the bench would mostly be filled with young, unproven players.
Amick still considers it “very likely” that Antetokounmpo will be moved before the draft and points to the Celtics as a “pretty intriguing” option that could offer a better chance to contend for a title. Amick adds that the “intrigue is real” from Antetokounmpo and his representatives, citing their perception of Boston’s roster and respect for head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Amick theorizes that the Heat’s interest in Antetokounmpo has been prominent in the media lately because they don’t have to worry about offending a star, saying, “They don’t really care what Tyler Herro feels about getting traded.” Boston has to be more “sensitive” about putting Jaylen Brown‘s name in trade rumors, especially after smoothing over a controversy that erupted last month when it was reported that Brown had “frustration” regarding his role on the team.
Amick also suggests that a “wild card team” could “come out of the shadows” and make a late play for Antetokounmpo. He states that there are “a lot of teams that are looking at this and absolutely interested,” but have to “pay attention to their own locker room dynamics.”
Trail Blazers Notes: Williams, Thybulle, Henderson
Robert Williams raised his projected value by putting together a relatively healthy season and may have increased his chances of staying with the Trail Blazers, Keith Smith of Spotrac writes in his preview of the team’s offseason. Portland’s most important free agent decision will be whether to re-sign the 28-year-old center, who earned $13.3MM this year.
Injuries limited Williams to 26 combined games in his first two seasons with the Blazers, but he managed to play 59 this year, his highest total since 2021/22. Serving as a veteran backup to Donovan Clingan, Williams averaged 6.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per night while shooting 70.8% from the field and providing an interior defensive presence with 1.5 blocks per game.
Smith notes that several teams are in the market for center help, including the Lakers, who have plenty of cap space, so keeping Williams likely won’t be cheap. Smith projects a new contract using Williams’ Bird rights at around $36MM over two years or $54MM for three years if the team can partially or non-guarantee the final season. However, he cautions that $20MM per year is too much to spend considering Williams’ injury history and advises the Blazers to look elsewhere if the price gets that high.
There’s more from Portland:
- It’s less certain if the Trail Blazers want to keep Matisse Thybulle, who’s also heading into free agency, Smith adds. The 29-year-old swingman only appeared in 30 games this season, and Smith points out that Portland has plenty of wings who are ahead of him in the rotation. Smith suggests that Thybulle’s value is probably around $8-10MM per season, but that might be too expensive for the Blazers unless they plan to part with some of their other wing players.
- Apart from free agency, Portland faces a tricky financial decision on Scoot Henderson, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. Henderson missed most of the season, but he played well during the closing stretch and the playoffs. Henderson was the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft, but his shot hasn’t improved much in his three NBA seasons and he’ll face a tough battle for playing time, especially with Damian Lillard‘s expected return. Smith believes the Blazers might explore trade options involving Henderson and may decide to see what he can do next season before negotiating with him as a restricted free agent.
- A return to Boston might be in the cards for Williams, suggests Souichi Terada of MassLive. Neemias Queta showed he could handle the starter’s role this season, but the Celtics need a reliable backup after the trade for Nikola Vucevic failed to work out. Williams spent the first five seasons of his career in Boston before being traded in 2023.
Spurs Notes: Game 2, Fox, K. Johnson, Wembanyama
The Spurs have remained calm since losing Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, viewing it as one more bit of adversity that needs to be overcome on their way to a title, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN. Victor Wembanyama said he isn’t “worried in the slightest” about how the team will respond when the series resumes tonight.
“We know we’re not here by chance,” Wembanyama said. “We’ve been through some weird, weird, situations [or] whatever. It’s reassuring to know that these guys, the 18 guys we’ve got, are built this way. [They] are resilient.”
Wright notes that the Spurs weren’t viewed as ready to be championship contenders when the season began, and there were worrisome injuries hanging over the team as it gathered for training camp. Wembanyama was returning from deep vein thrombosis that forced him to miss the final 36 games of last season, Dylan Harper just a few weeks removed from surgery to fix a partially torn ligament in his left thumb and De’Aaron Fox was uncertain for camp due to a lingering hamstring strain.
Even with the health questions and concerns over having so many young players in the rotation, general manager Brian Wright was a firm believer in the roster he assembled.
“When we were whole last year you saw flashes of it,” he said. “And the bulk of our group is incredibly young. The one thing you could bank on was improvement, whether that be Vic, Steph (Castle), as well as Keldon (Johnson) and Devin (Vassell). There’s Julian (Champagnie), too. They’re still growing. Just with the evolution of the guys we have and then someone of Fox’s caliber being here in the offseason, there’s a real chance we could match up and play with all the teams at the top of the league. Obviously, you’ve got to do the work. But we believe in the group we have.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- As the veteran in the Spurs’ backcourt, Fox needs to have a better showing in Game 2, states Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. Fox only had seven points in 38 minutes in the opener while shooting 3-of-13 from the field and missing his all attempts from outside the paint. “I’ve got to make shots,” he said. “Obviously I’m not shooting the ball as much. But coming here, I knew that was the way it was going to be. As a player, you sacrifice for the betterment of the team. There are times where I need to take shots or times where I don’t take as many shots, but at the end of the day, you need to make the shots that you take.”
- Game 1 was also a disappointment for Johnson, this season’s Sixth Man of the Year, who scored just three points in eight minutes, Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News writes in a subscriber-only story. Johnson promises that it won’t affect him for the rest of the series. “When you get in a series like this, once the game is over, you process it that night and then we come back and we break it down today,” he said. “And then you got to let it go. You can’t let it linger on to other games. You can’t get too high, you can’t get too low. You got to try and stay as even-keeled as possible. I’ll correct those mistakes and be back at it tomorrow.”
- Jared Weiss of The Athletic examines the marketing strategy to make Wembanyama the most popular athlete in the world, including his statement to Nike executives last year that “I’m not gonna give basketball a choice of who the face is going to be.”
Knicks Notes: Towns, Alvarado, Brunson, Nova Trio
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns was a difference-maker in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, according to Zach Kram of ESPN and Fred Katz of The Athletic, coming up big on both ends of the court.
While the Spurs would prefer to use Victor Wembanyama as the primary defender on Josh Hart, allowing him to roam around the paint and away from the perimeter, Towns proved to be a difficult assignment for smaller San Antonio defenders, pushing his way to the basket when he had the size advantage, notes Katz.
On the other end of the floor, there was an expectation that OG Anunoby would get the first look as Wembanyama’s primary defender, but that assignment went to Towns instead. According to NBA.com’s matchup data, Towns guarded the Spurs star for nearly 80% of the time when both players were on the floor together. Against the Knicks center, Wembanyama scored just nine points on 2-of-11 shooting and committed five turnovers.
On the heels of his standout performance, Towns told Shaquille O’Neal and the Inside the NBA crew that he believes his ability to stay level-headed and focused during Game 1 was due to the presence of his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz, who passed away in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19.
“I don’t want to sound sugarcoating or anything like that,” Towns said. “I don’t know what it was, but I just felt a calm and a peace that had to be come from the woman above. I felt really confident about today. I felt good. I felt like a kid. It was just fun out here. … In a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands. It was fun. It was really fun. It was really comforting because Game 1 of the NBA Finals, you’re told all the pressure there’s going to be.”
We have more on the Knicks:
- After scoring 10 total points in four games against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals, Knicks guard Jose Alvarado scored seven points in 11 minutes on Wednesday. His 11 minutes of action were the most he had played since April 28 and his four rebounds represented a personal playoff high. Alvarado first entered the game after Jalen Brunson appeared to injure his knee and admitted his first thought was that Brunson “better come back,” as Zach Braziller of The New York Post relays. “My second thought is, this is what I do. I wasn’t scared of the moment,” Alvarado said. “This is something I live for, and I just want to take advantage of it and do what the team needs.”
- Although Harrison Barnes fell into his knee in the first quarter and Luke Kornet stepped on his ankle in the second quarter, Brunson showed no ill effects of those injuries in the second half or ahead of practice on Thursday, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (subscription required)
- In an entertaining story for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III takes an in-depth look at the history shared by the Knicks’ three former Villanova stars – Brunson, Hart, and Mikal Bridges – and the bond they’ve developed over their many years as teammates. “We genuinely like playing together,” Brunson said of the ‘Nova Knicks’ last month. “We’ve created a chemistry that has been great. I love playing with these guys. They mean a lot to me. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Austin Reaves To Seek Max Deal In Free Agency?
Lakers guard Austin Reaves is expected to decline his 2026/27 player option and become an unrestricted free agent in a matter of weeks. At that point, he’ll be one of the top players on the market and will likely be seeking a contract that reflects that fact, Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times said during an appearance on Spectrum SportsNet (Twitter video link).
“Based on what I understand, what I keep hearing, Austin wants the max,” Turner said. “Is he willing to give the Lakers a hometown deal? I’m not so sure about that. Maybe he does, but maybe his reps don’t want to.”
Based on the latest salary cap estimate provided by the NBA, a five-year, maximum-salary deal for Reaves with the Lakers would be worth a projected $239.3MM, while a four-year max deal with a rival suitor would be worth $177.4MM.
While Reaves is certainly in line for a lucrative payday this summer, he’d likely need a rival team with cap room, such as the Bulls or Nets, to get involved in the bidding in order to drive his price up to – or near – his maximum. Without another suitor putting pressure on them, the Lakers would regain some leverage in contract negotiations.
Reaves has spoken in the past about wanting to stick with the Lakers, and while Turner is certainly right that the guard’s representatives will seek the best possible offer for their client, that doesn’t mean he’d be obligated to leave Los Angeles if another team is offering a slightly higher annual salary. The 28-year-old would have to determine in that scenario what his priorities are and what makes the most sense for his long-term future.
For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently suggested that a four-year, $155MM offer might be enough for the Lakers to re-sign Reaves, though NBA scouts and executives who spoke to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps believe the former undrafted free agent could do a little better, projecting something in the range of $200MM over five years.
“I’d be pretty surprised if the first year starts with a three instead of a four,” one Eastern Conference scout told Bontemps, “but the Lakers need to keep him, and by all accounts he wants to be there, so I think they make it work.”
Reaves was limited to 51 appearances in 2025/26 for health reasons but put up excellent offensive numbers when he was available, averaging a career-high 23.3 points per game on .490/.360/.871 shooting. He also contributed 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest.
Finals Notes: Wemby, Brunson, Rotations, Sochan
After entering the NBA Finals as favorites, the Spurs are now considered underdogs to win the series following their Game 1 loss to the Knicks. However, San Antonio’s top players are unfazed by the deficit, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who points out that the team also lost Game 1 of its Minnesota series and was down 2-1 and 3-2 to Oklahoma City before coming back to advance.
“We feel like we’re the better team,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “We didn’t play well and still had a chance to win.”
Big man Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, stated that he isn’t “worried in the slightest” about San Antonio’s ability to respond to the Game 1 loss. Like Castle, he pointed out that the Spurs played a subpar game by their standards and still had a chance to pull out a win in the fourth quarter.
“It’s almost like I have to play normal, not even good (in Game 2),” Wembanyama said, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “It’s just (about) doing the right things enough. When we play bad, when I play bad, is when we shoot ourselves in the foot. This is why I’m not worried. We’re going to be so much better. I’m going to be so much better.”
Here’s more on the NBA Finals as the Spurs and Knicks gear up for Game 2 on Friday night:
- The difference in Game 1, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic, was that Knicks guard Jalen Brunson knew had to close out the victory, while Wembanyama “looked a little lost by comparison.” However, Wembanyama has proven to be a quick learner over the course of his first playoff run and his teammates are confident in his ability to figure things out going forward. “I feel like that is kind of who he is. He never backs down from the moment,” Spurs guard Dylan Harper said. “He always kind of steps up and meets it.”
- The NBA is investigating an incident that took place near the end of Game 1, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that Brunson took exception to a pair of courtside fans who were directing “profane” and “derogatory” comments toward him. As Haynes explained during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show (Twitter video link), Brunson spoke to referee Scott Foster at the end of the game about those fans.
- As Law Murray of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), both the Knicks and Spurs pared down their rotations from 10 players to nine during the second half of Game 1. Veteran guard Jordan Clarkson was the casualty for New York, while rookie forward Carter Bryant was San Antonio’s odd man out.
- Former Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, now a member of the Knicks, has played in just five of the team’s 15 playoff games so far, exclusively in garbage time, but he said ahead of Game 1 that he’s “staying ready” and trying to be the best teammate he can be, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “Not all 18 guys can play on the court, so you have to accept that part and not be a cancer to the team,” Sochan said.
Central Notes: Bulls, Pacers, Cavaliers’ Offseason
The Bulls hosted a pre-draft workout on Tuesday featuring Keaton Wagler (Illinois), Kingston Flemings (Houston), Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Morez Johnson (Michigan), league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.
Chicago currently controls the fourth, 15th, 38th and 56th picks in this year’s draft, which will take place on June 23 and June 24. Wagler, Flemings and Ament are all projected lottery picks, while Johnson has been moving up draft boards and could go in the top 14 as well.
Since none of those prospects are expected to go in the top four, rival teams are curious whether the Bulls might be open to moving down from No. 4 or possibly move up from No. 15 to add a second lottery pick, O’Connor writes.
We have more from around the Central:
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times examines the forwards who are under currently under contract with the Bulls, including the impending free agents, writing that Leonard Miller deserves to have his $2.4MM team option exercised after he flashed some intriguing tools down the stretch last season. While Chicago would probably be happy to part Patrick Williams, the $54MM he’s owed over the next three seasons makes his contact “unmovable,” in Cowley’s view.
- The Pacers were originally planning to host Purdue point guard Braden Smith and California forward Chris Bell as part of Friday’s group workout, but they will be replaced by UMBC guard DJ Armstrong and Kansas guard Tre White, the team announced (via Twitter). No reason for the change was given. The Pacers don’t currently control a draft pick, though it’s possible the team could acquire one (or more). Smith, an Indiana native, was a consensus All-America selection each of the past two seasons and is ranked No. 38 on ESPN’s big board.
- The Cavaliers have some difficult decisions to make this summer after a somewhat disappointing 2025/26 campaign, Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Substack link) writes in his offseason preview. Cleveland was the only team to finish over the second tax apron in ’25/26, Gozlan observes, which means the team’s 2033 first-round pick will be “frozen” (unable to be traded) for multiple seasons. Moving below the second apron figures to be a high priority for the Cavaliers, likely with the assistance of a lower cap hit for James Harden, Gozlan adds. Operating over the first but under the second apron would allow Cleveland to aggregate salaries in trades, among other eased restrictions.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Sabonis, Warriors, Suns
The Kings are hosting a pre-draft workout on Friday featuring Boopie Miller (SMU), Nick Boyd (Wisconsin), Lamar Wilkerson (Indiana), Anthony Roy (Oklahoma State), Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida) and Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia), tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.
Sacramento controls three picks (Nos. 7, 34 and 45) in the upcoming draft. Big men Onyenso (No. 43) and Nelson (No. 47) are the top-ranked prospects in that group on ESPN’s big board.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- After Evan Sidery claimed (via Twitter) that the Hornets and Kings discussed a possible trade involving Domantas Sabonis during the 2025/26 season, Ham shot down that rumor (Twitter link). “Not accurate,” a league source told Ham. Sabonis, a three-time All-Star center, is owed $94.1MM over the next two seasons.
- Nick Avila of NBC Sports Bay Area rounds up seven mock drafts for the lottery picks controlled by the Kings (No. 7) and Warriors (No. 11). Four outlets have Sacramento selecting former Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings, while only one name appears multiple times (twice) for Golden State: Mexican forward Karim Lopez, who spent the last two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in the National Basketball League.
- Although the Suns currently only control the 47th overall pick in this month’s draft, they have a recent history of moving both up and down, notes Gerald Bourguet of Sports360AZ.com. He acknowledges the odds of Phoenix being able to land a first-round pick seem fairly low given the limited assets at the team’s disposal, but Bourguet lists five prospects the Suns should consider if they’re able to move into the first round, including Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie and Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson.
Bulls Adding Alex Kaufman, Jarrett Sutton To Front Office
The Bulls plan to hire Alex Kaufman to be the new general manager of their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Chicago also intends to make a second addition to its front office, according to Scotto, who hears Jarrett Sutton is joining the organization as a scout. Sutton himself confirmed the news via his Twitter page.
Kaufman spent the 2025/26 campaign as GM of the Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, which is now known as the Laketown Squadron. The New Orleans native was promoted at least three times during his tenure with the Pelicans, which spanned seven seasons.
A Kansas City native who played four years of college basketball at Missouri, Sutton is another longtime former Pelicans employee, most recently acting as a scout.
New Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham is familiar with both Kaufman and Sutton, Scotto notes, having worked with them for six years in New Orleans. Graham steadily worked his way up the ranks over the course of 15 seasons with the Pelicans prior to joining the Hawks’ front office in the 2025 offseason.