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General Manager Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on prior to the game against the Houston Rockets.
The Los Angeles Lakers are entering some pivotal months. The NBA playoffs are less than three weeks away. The franchise is seen by many as a legitimate player in the Western Conference and is expected to still be playing in May.
From there, L.A. will enter an offseason with several questions to address regardless of the outcome of the 2025-26 season.
Right now, Los Angeles is on a roll.
The team has won 11 of its last 12 games as star point guard Luka Doncic has rocketed his way into the league MVP race. His co-stars, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, have transformed into the ideal pieces around him as the regular season has reached its final stretch.
Hope continues to mount in Doncic’s second year with the franchise. After a disappointing first round exit a year ago, fans are hoping the Lakers Big Three has built up enough continuity to transfer their regular season success to the postseason. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have had a better record in the NBA since the turn of the calendar.
Los Angeles Lakers have a pressing few months ahead of them
Ever since L.A. acquired Doncic in a seismic trade 14 months ago, much has been said about how the franchise needs to build around him.
Doncic is 27 and just entering his prime. He ideally has many more years playing at a megastar level. Having a player of his caliber will always give any team a decent shot at winning the championship; it’s just a matter of the quality of the supporting cast.
As the year has gone on, Doncic has looked more comfortable and the Lakers have looked more like a well-oiled machine.
Doncic and Reaves have been a wonderful backcourt pairing, and James accepting a tertiary role has proved fruitful. James has seldom played off the ball over his lengthy career, but he just continues to show that he is capable of playing any position, time or era. There is still great versatility in that 41-year-old body.
The Lakers are expected to finish strong this postseason. Even if they don’t win a championship, which they aren’t favored to, there are still ways for them to exit the season feeling good about the future. In the offseason, the team’s attention will be centered on fine-tuning the roster to maximize Doncic. That’ll include making some decisions on some in-house players.
According to ESPN, L.A. holds interest in re-signing Doncic’s top co-star, Reaves, along with sharpshooting guard Luke Kennard and big man Jaxson Hayes.
“The Lakers aren’t expected to take that $50 million and give it to another star instead of James,” the publication wrote. “They have interest in re-signing Reaves, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard, team sources told ESPN, not to mention Hachimura, if the price is right. Reaves will decline a $14.9 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency, sources familiar with his plans told ESPN.”
L.A.’s big fish this summer is undeniably Reaves
The Lakers have discovered a promising future blueprint with Doncic and Reaves.
The pair of 27 year olds have demonstrated a harmonious fit all season, especially to start the year as James was recovering from a Sciatica injury he suffered during the playoffs.
Doncic has been his usual MVP self — averaging 33.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game on better than 47% shooting overall — while Reaves has been turning in a career campaign.
GettySALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – NOVEMBER 23: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
The former undrafted guard is averaging a career-high in scoring and is doing it on over 49% shooting, the second-highest mark of his career.
Of course, Doncic and Reaves’ partnership will be tested in the playoffs, where it’ll be interesting to see how their dynamic unfolds in a seven-game series, not to mention how they’ll help to feature James in the offense.
The Lakers also have a decision to make with Kennard, the deep-range deadeye the team acquired before the trade deadline buzzer in February. Doncic has been historically efficient with sharpshooter with him on the court. Locking in Kennard to a solid new deal will likely be very high on the priority list.
Ultimately, the postseason will reflect what the Lakers need to clean up this summer. The team is certainly elite but will get tested by the West’s top giants.
How the season finishes will assist general manager Rob Pelinka and company in how precise the franchise needs to be in making transactions this offseason.
Adel Ahmad Adel is a writer with over five years of experience covering the NBA. His work has appeared on various media platforms, both national and local. More about Adel Ahmad
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