There's going to be a whole lot of attention given to LeBron James' future after the Los Angeles Lakers' season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.
The reality is that there's a different storyline that might matter more to the Lakers' long-term future, and that's Austin Reaves.
The talented, undrafted guard from Oklahoma is coming to a pivot point in his career, and the direction he takes from here will matter greatly.
Reaves' contract has reached the moment when he has to decide on a player option for 2026-27. The amount written in this current deal for that option is $14.9 million.
Given the level Reaves has reached, it's all but assured that he will decline that player option. And whenever Reaves officially does that, it'll mean he's heading for free agency.
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The reality with Reaves, like it is with any other player in his spot, is that his current team can offer him an additional year and more money per year on a contract than any other team in the NBA.
So if Reaves wants to maximize his next deal, and if the Lakers are willing to pay him a max contract, then staying in Los Angeles would be the move.
But if the Lakers are hesitant to max Reaves out, or if he'd prefer to get out from under the shadow of Luka Doncic, he could always choose to move on.
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The James decision is big but probably only has one season of implications.
What Reaves decides to do could matter for the next half-decade for the Lakers. Will they have a backcourt of Doncic and Reaves to build everything else around? Or will they have to get a different running mate for Luka?
The player option part is straightforward enough, because Reaves has far outplayed that value. From there is where things will get very interesting.
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