The Los Angeles Lakers' offseason hinges on LeBron James' June 29 player option decision and Luka Doncic becoming eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension on August 2.
After a disappointing first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers — led by GM Rob Pelinka — face another crucial offseason.
3-pointers this season
Los Angeles Lakers
NBA
As always, any meaningful discussion about the LA Lakers' summer plans starts with the top of the roster.
LeBron James holds a $52.6 million player option, which he must decide on by June 29. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, LeBron is expected to opt in.
Meanwhile, starting August 2, Luka Doncic will be eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension. Though both decisions are technically outside the Lakers' control, they will significantly influence the direction of the team's offseason.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic outlined the Lakers' key offseason dates:
Date Player Event
June 29 LeBron James Player option
June 29 Dorian Finney-Smith Player option
June 29 Jordan Goodwin Team option
July6 Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura Extension eligible
July 20 Shake Milton Contract guarantee
August 2 Luka Doncic Extension eligible
Looking ahead to next season, the Lakers already have eight players under guaranteed contracts:
Luka Doncic – $45,999,660
Rui Hachimura – $18,259,259
Austin Reaves – $13,937,574
Jarred Vanderbilt – $11,571,429
Gabe Vincent – $11,500,000
Maxi Kleber – $11,000,000
Dalton Knecht – $4,010,160
Bronny James – $1,955,377
That totals approximately $118.2 million, which is about 76% of the projected $154.6 million salary cap for the 2025–26 season.
The Lakers will need to sign at least six more players to meet the NBA's minimum roster requirement of 14 players.
Credit IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect - Scanpix
Their main avenues for improving the roster include:
One future first-round pick (either 2031 or 2032)
Over $70 million in expiring contracts
Either the non-taxpayer midlevel exception (projected to start at $14.1 million annually) or the taxpayer midlevel exception (projected to start at $5.7 million)
Despite finishing the regular season with 50 wins and landing the No. 3 seed in the West, the Lakers' playoff run fell short due to a clear lack of size, particularly at the center position, and overall depth.
This summer gives them a chance to correct that.
Thank you for reading us! We have even more content for you.