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What’s next for Lakers after first-round exit? LeBron’s future, the Dončić dilemma and more

Posted on May 2, 2025 - 4:05 pm by

This wasn’t how the Los Angeles Lakers’ season was supposed to end.

Not after pulling off one of the biggest — and most shocking — trades in NBA history, reshaping their present and future by acquiring a generational talent in Luka Dončić.

Not after winning 50 games and earning the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, their best finish since the 2019-20 championship season and the first time they’ve had home-court advantage in a playoff series since 2012.

Not after that season from 40-year-old LeBron James. Or the breakout season from Austin Reaves. Or that impressive debut by first-time coach JJ Redick.

The internal expectations were higher — to advance a round, at least, if not make the conference finals. Losing in the first round — in five games, no less — wasn’t expected.

“Every year we embark on training camp and the journey of a season with the goal of putting another banner up,” said Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations and general manager, who signed an extension on April 18. “And any season we don’t do that, we’ve fallen short of our ultimate goal here.”

And now, even after all the fanfare surrounding adding a franchise centerpiece in Dončić, the Lakers will enter another early offseason with more questions than answers.

Will Dončić sign an extension this summer and end any potential noise about his future in Los Angeles? How does he view his half-season with the Lakers?

And what about James and his future? Is he going to exercise his 2025-26 player option, or might he want another extension? Would he consider taking a discount to help the Lakers bolster their supporting cast? How much longer will he play?

The Dončić dilemma

If the Lakers need to feel better about their finish, it would be wise to remember how uncomfortable and uninspiring their situation had become in January.

The James-Anthony Davis pairing had seemingly reached its peak, with the Lakers struggling to maintain a winning record (they were 20-17 on Jan. 13) despite having both of their stars available for all but five of those games.

There was tension regarding the roster, too. ESPN reported on Jan. 22 that James and Davis had concerns about the Lakers’ ability to upgrade their talent before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. As The Athletic reported in early February, that didn’t land well within the organization. Ditto for the on-camera interview that followed in which Davis openly discussed his desire for the Lakers to add a center so that he would no longer have to play the position.

Those sorts of power plays marked the continuation of a years-long trend that had caused serious frustration before, one in which pressure would be applied, in some form or fashion, by the team’s stars, who are both represented by Klutch Sports. Whenever the team wasn’t performing up to expectations, and there wasn’t enough roster improvement for the stars’ liking heading into the deadline, an informal complaint would be lodged.

The trade had seemed to improve those dynamics, with 32-year-old Davis departing and Dončić — the 26-year-old who is represented by Bill Duffy of WME Sports — coming to town. More importantly, the team was in a much better place for the long haul because it had swapped an injury-prone, older star in Davis for a younger one who was widely seen as the superior talent in Dončić.

Yet despite all the hoopla that has followed the deal, with the Lakers universally praised for landing a superstar in his prime and the Dallas Mavericks widely criticized for not only dealing Dončić but also getting so little in return, there was a bit of fine print that was mostly forgotten in the discourse: The Lakers did the deal without any assurances that Dončić, who has a player option worth $48.9 million for the 2026-27 season and is extension eligible on Aug. 2, would re-sign.

That fact might seem like a technicality to some, as Dončić is widely expected to commit to a long-term Lakers future at some point. But the Lakers learned a long time ago that star players don’t always decide to stick around, as they traded with Orlando for Dwight Howard in the summer of 2012 only to see him head to Houston in free agency a year later. And when it came to the Mavericks-Lakers trade talks that led to the deal, league and team sources say Dončić’s uncertain long-term status was the primary reason the Lakers were able to avoid giving up their 2031 first-round pick in the deal (Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first went to Dallas).

All of which is to say that Dončić’s mood, and his next move, matters a great deal.

While league and team sources say the partnership has been very positive for all parties, with the Lakers going to great lengths to make Dončić aware that they want him to lead the way in their next era, it remains unclear how the five-time All-Star will handle his contract situation. And while he told ESPN before the postseason that he wants to stay with the Lakers, they won’t rest easy until a deal is actually done.

Depending on Dončić’s preference, he has multiple pathways to his next contract. Beginning on Aug. 2, he can sign a four-year, $229 million extension. To recoup the money he lost in the trade from losing his supermax eligibility, Dončić could sign a shorter three-year, $165 million extension, with a player option for 2028-29 that would coincide with reaching 10 years of service to be eligible for the 35 percent max. In that scenario, he could sign a five-year, $418 million deal in the 2028 offseason.

Dončić also could choose to play out his contract, opt out after 2025-26 and then re-sign for five years, $296 million, or sign with another team for four years, $219 million. According to team sources, the Lakers will be amenable to whatever contract structure Dončić desires.

For better or worse, there is always a brighter spotlight on star players who play for the Lakers. And as Dončić likely noticed on Thursday morning, when his struggles in the playoffs were a major topic of discussion on all the major sports networks, there’s a different level of scrutiny that comes with his current team.

On the flip side, the Lakers brand brings with it a level of global exposure and marketing opportunities that others simply don’t. How Dončić feels about the pros and cons within his new basketball world will surely play a pivotal part in his choice. And as is the case with James, there’s an expectation that the roster needs to improve significantly before next season begins.

  (Jason Parkhurst / Imagn Images)

One of the biggest issues for the Lakers in their first-round loss to the Timberwolves was the lack of a playable center. Jaxson Hayes, who emerged in January as the Lakers’ starting center after Davis got injured and was traded, struggled to stay out of foul trouble and impact games in the playoffs against Minnesota’s size and physicality.

When Dončić and Pelinka met in the days after the trade, Dončić told him that he likes playing with a vertical lob threat – similar to Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in Dallas – and believes that’s the key to unlocking his offensive potential.

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“I’ll do my best for the deadline to see if something like that’s available,” Pelinka recalled telling Dončić when they met in his office days after the trade. “If not, it’s something we’ll attack this summer.”

In a show of good faith and their commitment to their partnership with Dončić, the Lakers traded for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams on Feb. 5, only to rescind the trade a few days later due to concerns about Williams’ physical.

The most glaring need for the Lakers’ roster this summer is a starting-caliber center — and, more specifically, one who can protect the rim and fit with Dončić in pick-and-rolls. The Lakers have almost three months to address the center need and improve the roster before Dončić decides on his future. And while they don’t have any salary-cap space with which to work, they do have over $40 million in expiring contracts, one first-round pick (2031 or 2032) and one first-round pick swap (2030).

“We know this offseason, one of our primary goals is going to be to add size in our frontcourt at the center position,” Pelinka said on Thursday. “That’s going to be part of the equation.”

   

In taking down LeBron James, Luka Dončić and the Lakers, Anthony Edwards not only showed his growth as a player. He also demonstrated his maturity as a leader.

LeBron’s future

James’ situation, meanwhile, might be even more complicated.

As The Athletic reported last season, one source briefed on James’ thinking said he was expected to play up to two more NBA seasons, which would take him through the 2025-26 season. The easiest outcome, for all involved, is for him to pick up his player option for next season ($52.6 million) ahead of the June 29 deadline before heading off into retirement.

If that’s his choice, the Lakers would plan on celebrating his remarkable career all season long in a similar fashion to Kobe Bryant’s goodbye tour in the 2015-16 campaign. It’s perfect timing, too, that the NBA All-Star game is in Los Angeles next season. James, whose family and business ties in Los Angeles make it such an appealing location off the court, is in complete control of that particular path.

But if he decides to play longer and wants a Lakers extension to go along with that choice, then team sources say that conversation will begin with a familiar question: Is he still happy as a Laker?

Ever since James came to town in 2018, his relationship with the organization has hinged on the answer to that question. If the answer is yes this time, then there’s a discussion to be had on that front. But if it’s not, then the prospect of him finishing his career elsewhere could be in play.

Only James truly knows how he sees it — and even he might not have clarity just yet — but the Lakers’ inability to get out of the first round is evidence enough that they’re a ways away from true title contention. What’s more, the nature of the Lakers’ exit in Game 5 against Minnesota only supported the sort of concerns that James has had about the roster in the past and, league sources say, which remain in the present.

To put it simply, Timberwolves Rudy Gobert wouldn’t have dominated like he did in Game 5 (27 points, 24 rebounds and two blocks) if the Lakers had any big men whom Redick trusted.

The Wolves shot an astounding 90.9 percent from the restricted area in that game. And as James so bluntly pointed out in his postgame news conference, when he was asked about the challenges of playing in the frontcourt as a ripple effect of the team having no playable centers, the Lakers’ season was no doubt made harder because of that roster weakness.

“Uh, no comment,” James said while smiling. “I’d never say that, because my guy AD said what he needed, and then he was gone the following week, so I’ve got no comment. I put that uniform on every night, gave everything I had, and that’s all that matters.”

Around the same time, that same subplot to the Lakers’ season was being highlighted on social media by the player who came so close to filling that void in February. Not long after the Lakers’ loss, the 23-year-old Williams posted a well-timed smiling emoji that was clearly a reference to the Lakers’ controversial decision.

So, might James think about finishing his career elsewhere in pursuit of a fifth ring? When posed that question, both league sources close to James and team sources would not rule that possibility out. And that was before the revealing elimination game.

The unsolicited mention of Davis in his postgame news conference was a reminder that the two were very close before their unexpected breakup. The same is true about James and Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving, whose courtside presence at Game 5 — and his interactions with James during play — garnered notice on the TNT telecast. As The Athletic reported in February, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is expected to pursue another star this summer — be it someone like James or the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant.

When asked about his future after Game 5, James made it clear that he’s not sure how much longer he wants to play. Or, perhaps, even where.

“You don’t know what the (Lakers) roster will look like next year besides the guys that (are) locked into contracts,” James said. “S—, I got a lot to think about myself. So I don’t know what the roster will look like. I don’t know where I stand right now.”

If James returns to the Lakers, though, league sources say he’s not expected to consider the kind of pay cut that was in play around this time a year ago. Last summer, James took a discount of approximately $2.7 million to help the Lakers stay under the second apron and maintain roster flexibility.

James considered taking an even steeper pay cut to help the Lakers land an impact player in free agency, with James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Klay Thompson and Jonas Valančiūnas on his list, league sources confirmed. The Lakers didn’t land any of them, and James instead signed for closer to his max.

“I think LeBron’s going to have high expectations for the roster,” Pelinka said Thursday. “And we’re going to do everything we can to meet those.”

The Lakers’ salary-cap restrictions will make the big man pursuit difficult, as they will either have to trade for him or sign him by way of the taxpayer midlevel exception (projected to start at $5.7 million). But Pelinka’s pursuits last season gave some indication as to what he’s looking for.

The Lakers were tied to everyone from Utah’s Walker Kessler to Indiana’s Myles Turner, Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton, Houston’s Steven Adams, Atlanta’s Clint Capela and Portland’s Robert Williams III. Milwaukee big man Brook Lopez will be a free agent this summer and could be an option as well. Turner is widely considered the best big man on the free agency market, but — barring the kind of roster wizardry that would clear serious space — is expected to be well outside of their price range.

“I think in terms of center traits, it would be great to have a center that was a vertical threat, lob threat, and someone that could protect the interior defensively,” Pelinka said Thursday. “I think those would be key. But there’s multiple different types of centers that can be very effective in the league. There’s also spread centers that can protect the rim. We’ll look at those as well.”

The Redick experience

The Redick experience was mostly positive, as the Lakers’ ability to earn the No. 3 seed had everything to do with his ability to connect with his players while showcasing his tactical acumen.

Despite the early playoff exit, Redick’s job is safe, and the Lakers are optimistic about his future with the franchise, team sources told The Athletic.

“JJ brought just a complete revival of energy and incredibly hard work ethic, attention to detail, a spirit to our team, to our group, to our franchise as a rookie coach that we haven’t seen in a long time,” Pelinka said Thursday. “Our level of confidence, my level of confidence, couldn’t be higher. He’s a great partner to work with. He’s an incredible basketball mind and I know that every year for him will be things to celebrate and learning lessons. That’s just who he is. That’s exciting for the Lakers, for our fan base and for our future.”

The 40-year-old Redick was an unorthodox hire, to be sure, a widely respected former player with no coaching experience whose profile had risen in recent years because of his burgeoning media career. The optics surrounding his arrival, which included a four-year, $32 million deal, were challenging and unprecedented.

Redick’s most recent media endeavor, the “Mind the Game” podcast, just so happened to feature James as his co-host. He had to navigate the widely held perception that his relationship with James had led to him getting the job, even though James and Lakers officials vehemently denied that was the case.

Then came the Bronny James experience, as LeBron’s 20-year-old son was drafted No. 55 and signed to a four-year, $7.9 million deal last summer. Redick, well aware of the nepotism accusations that surrounded the situation, was given the unenviable task of integrating Bronny amid intense scrutiny. But as those early months wore on, Redick’s ability to produce results early on helped change the tone of the conversation surrounding him.

He masterfully maneuvered the midseason trade for Dončić, integrating him into the Lakers’ switch-heavy defense seamlessly and adapting the offense to become more Luka-centric (more 3-pointers, high pick-and-rolls with Hayes, etc.).

Yet while Redick was met with rave reviews during the regular season, the end of his debut campaign was rocky. His choice to play the same five players for the entirety of the second half in the Lakers’ narrow Game 4 loss sparked a nationwide debate about whether it was a mistake, and with good reason. It was the first time it had ever happened in playoff history.

Beyond that it didn’t work, with Dončić, James, Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith getting outscored 32-19 in the fourth quarter of Game 4 after entering the frame with a 10-point advantage, the fact that Redick went with that extreme strategy served as an uncomfortable reflection of the roster’s lack of size and depth. The Lakers often played nine to 10 players in the regular season, but couldn’t find a sixth player that Redick trusted by the middle of the first round — and it was hard to blame considering most of the supporting cast’s play.

As if the move hadn’t made enough headlines already, Redick’s news conference before Game 5 made it even worse. When he was asked a question about whether he typically consulted with assistant coaches in those sorts of situations, Redick answered tersely before abruptly leaving the podium.

The truth, though, is that the Lakers were well aware that he was inexperienced. Team sources say the hire was made last summer with the expectation that there would be growing pains, but they remain bullish on his ability to lead this group. And to hear James and Dončić tell it afterward, when they both gave strong messages of support, Redick has the full support of the locker room as well.

“JJ is gonna continue to grow,” James said Wednesday night. “Thought he had a hell of a rookie campaign for a rookie coach. And it’s a lot different being a rookie coach. It’s already hard being a rookie coach in the NBA. And it’s a hell of a lot harder being a rookie head coach coaching the Lakers. It’s a whole ‘nother ball game. And I thought he handled it extremely well.”

A new look

As the stunning nature of the Dončić trade showed, unforeseen opportunities can arise at any point in the NBA offseason. The Lakers, as Pelinka said on Thursday, will keep their options open to whichever players potentially shake during what will likely be a busy NBA transaction cycle.

But the Lakers are optimistic that they don’t need any grand roster changes at the top, and instead would like to continue to build and grow around their core trio of Dončić, James and Reaves. While the 26-year-old Reaves has long been seen as a player who might need to be traded as part of a roster upgrade, his ascension this season appears to have cemented his status as part of their core.

“The level of confidence in Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Luka Dončić is at an all-time high still,” Pelinka said Thursday. “So no change in how we feel about those three guys.”

The goal, then, is to improve the roster to the degree that Dončić and James feel confident about it with their offseason decisions looming. That will likely require some creativity, given all of the challenges and complexities with the new CBA, but it’s a path the Lakers plan to be aggressive on as they try to build a championship roster for next season.

“We know we have a lot of work to do on the roster, and it will look different next year for sure,” Pelinka said.