Lakers to Take Shocking Roster Decision With Luka Doncic and Co., Per Reports

After getting swept in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers have made an eye-opening decision regarding their roster. Sean Deveney from Heavy reported that the Lakers don't intend to make any major roster changes during the offseason.

This comes as a surprise, considering how badly the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Lakers in the playoffs. According to Deveney, the Lakers plan to keep the core unit surrounding Luka Doncic, who will be their top star in the years to come.

"Increasingly, it looks like the massive changes fans want for the Lakers aren’t quite what the team has in mind," per Deveney. "The plan appears to be to keep Austin Reaves, at something less than the maximum $240 million-plus, and to seek solutions at the center spot, an annual tradition in LA. Beyond that, dreams of adding restricted free agents Walker Kessler or Peyton Watson or Jalen Duren are almost certainly not happening."

He added, "A LeBron James retirement would leave open some free-agent money, and a sign-and-trade elsewhere might be an opportunity to add (Jarrett Allen, perhaps), but if he returns, the Lakers won’t look drastically different."

If possible, LA would like to secure Austin Reaves for less than the maximum contract worth $240 million. In addition, Deveney mentioned that the Lakers may no longer pursue Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, or Jalen Duren in free agency this summer.

Deveney also suggested that the Lakers fully intend to address their issues at the center position. For a while now, LA has struggled inside the paint without a solid rim protector.

While they previously had Anthony Davis, he wasn't necessarily a center. Meanwhile, Deandre Ayton isn't exactly an enforcer on defense, averaging only 5.4 defensive rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 0.6 steals this season.

Now, to address the elephant in the room, LeBron James. The King has yet to decide on his 24th NBA season. Several reports mentioned that James will take his time during the offseason to explore his options and decide whether to move or stay in LA, if he doesn't choose to retire entirely.

With that in mind, Deveney also reported that if James decides to leave LA, that leaves the team some extra salary space for a free agent. The reporter suggested that the Lakers could try for Jarrett Allen in a sign-and-trade situation.

Having all that said, aside from the potential departure of James, the Lakers reportedly shouldn't look too different from the 2025-26 season roster.

Luka Doncic Set to Focus on Recovery This Summer

Back on April 2, the Los Angeles Lakers took a heartbreaking loss after Luka Doncic suffered from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He sustained the injury during their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The injury came at the worst timing possible, too. With the Lakers heading to the 2026 NBA Playoffs as the No. 4 seed, they were in need of Doncic to help lead the team to victory.

While LeBron James successfully carried the team to a 4-2 series victory over the Houston Rockets in the first round, he could only do so much in the second round against the defending champions, the Thunder.

Austin Reaves may have managed to recover from his Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain, but his court rust was apparent after several inconsistent performances since his return in Game 5 against the Rockets.

Given the situation, it appears that Doncic doesn't want to go through that difficulty again next season. Several reports mentioned that Doncic will focus on getting healthy this summer. This would break his five-year streak playing for his home country, Slovenia, as Doncic has played for Team Slovenia for the past five summers.

The question now is, will Doncic be a more effective leader if James departs from LA for good? For now, all we can do is wait for what transpires this summer between the Lakers and the King.