The Lakers bench group basically beat the Mavs starting group for 3 quarters until we emptied our bench. If I'm a Mavs fan, I'm a bit concerned about the clunkiness of this team with so many bigs and the lack of 3 point shooting.— Yinoma2001 (@Yinoma2001) October 16, 2025

Went 5 for 5 then 1 for 6. Tale of Two Gabe’s lol

It’s encouraging how well both Luka and Austin look at this point. Both appear to be in better shape and quicker and faster. I still believe it’s in the best interest of the Lakers to cash in Reaves now because it’s really the only way to get back the kind of young defensive quality the Lakers need.

It was a shame we had to let Goodwin go but you’re way over your skis to proclaim signing Smart a mistake. Goodwin will still sit on the end of the Sun’s bench and the only reason he would get time in LA would be if Pelinka failed at his job. Smart will become a valuable rotation player, something Goodwin is a long shot to ever be.

Thanks Buba, Jordan G played great for us last season down the stretch when Vincent was up and down and, for whatever reason, couldn’t get playoff minutes until the series was basically already decided. Another knock against Reddick, IMO, who utterly panicked in his first playoff series. Hope he improves on that this season or his coaching career won’t be lasting too long.

Why Lakers Sans LeBron Should Super-Size Their Starting Lineup Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, and Ayton should turn the Lakers’ starting lineup into an offensive juggernaut that can compensate for Vanderbilt’s lack of impact on offense in order to unleash his ferocity on defense.… pic.twitter.com/3EwMLV9tQQ— LakerTom (@LakerTom) October 15, 2025

Why Lakers Sans LeBron Should Super-Size Their Starting Lineup Until a trade is made, the only alternatives to starting Vanderbilt are Smart and LaRavia. Smart would fill a similar role as Vanderbilt defensively but would not be the offensive liability the latter can be… pic.twitter.com/ugmHa8GrP3— LakerTom (@LakerTom) October 15, 2025

Why Lakers Sans LeBron Should Super-Size Their Starting Lineup The Lakers should begin the season with a starting lineup of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton to possess the height and length to matchup against the West’s bigger… pic.twitter.com/ZH8Gw0nl1U— LakerTom (@LakerTom) October 15, 2025

I like this lineup, maybe lacking quickness but could make up for it with length if they talk on D. The main issue I’m worried about is the severe drop off after the 7th/8th player off the bench. Our bench doesn’t have much to offer 9/10-14. It could be a real issue and Knecht just looks like a dude who came in off the street who somehow got a jersey and a role. Scoring wise, after Vincent, it gets

FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:

Austin Reaves Next Contract
Bringing things back around to Austin Reaves and his next deal…it’s likely to come with Los Angeles. The Lakers love Reaves and he loves being a Laker. Despite making it clear that there won’t be an extension signed, both Reaves and the Lakers have said that they intend for their partnership to continue. That leaves the question of:

What’s a fair value for Reaves on his next deal?

We’ve already covered that the Lakers can use cap space while retaining Reaves’ cap hold. That means that there is no reason to “fit him in” around signing other players. If the team goes the cap space route, the Los Angeles should still be able to avoid being a luxury tax team too. A starting salary of $32 million for the 2026-27 season would rank Reaves at 58th among all players, and 29th among guards. For reference, that would drop the Lakers guard in a salary neighborhood among Tyler Herro, Dejounte Murray, Immanuel Quickly, Jalen Suggs, Aaron Gordon, Derrick White, Andrew Wiggins and Jalen Johnson.

That feels about the correct spot, as some of those players are overpaid, some are underpaid and some feel just about right.

If Reaves’ starting salary nudged up to $35 million for the 2026-27 season, he’d be the 49th highest player overall and 23rd among all guards. His salary neighbors then become Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant, Jordan Poole, Mikal Bridges and Julius Randle. That’s an even more eclectic mix, despite the first-year salary bumping up by just $3 million. If the Lakers are concerned about long-term money, they could pitch the idea of starting Reaves high at $35 million, then having the contract descend year to year. Having a higher salary in 2026-27 shouldn’t be an issue, as Los Angeles shouldn’t have any tax concerns. Then, having Reaves on a lower number in the out years will be important for when Luka Doncic eventually signs a 35% of the cap max.

Here’s what that deal could look like for Reaves and the Lakers:

2026-27: $35,000,000
2027-28: $32,200,000
2028-29: $29,400,000
2029-30: $26,600,000
2030-31: $23,800,000 (player option)
Total: five years, $147,000,000

Given that something in the range of $150 million over five years seems fair for Reaves and the Lakers in terms of total value, this structure should be workable. Maybe the Lakers have to go a bit higher in first-year salary, but that shouldn’t be an issue. They’ll have an idea of how far they can go without tripping into tax territory.

The other beneficial part of this structure is that the deal would be extendable. The Lakers could easily extend Reaves off of the $26.6 million he’d be making in 2029-30. He’d be in his early-30s at that point, and a deal that bumps up to $30 million would be fair value, assuming Reaves continues to be a productive player over the next handful of seasons.

Summary

The Los Angeles Lakers and Austin Reaves are going to sign a new contract, barring something really unexpected. It’s just not going to happen until the summer of 2026. And that’s fine, because by then the Lakers should have more clarity on what’s happening with LeBron James and their potential cap space plans.

The key for Reaves is getting paid, after outplaying his current deal. The key for Los Angeles is managing their cap sheet and roster-building ability around max deals for Luka Doncic. The good news? Both things are well within range, given the great relationship between Reaves and the Lakers. There will be some negotiating, of course, but it would be a surprise to see Reaves playing anywhere but Los Angeles after this season.

🚨Gabe Vincent, Jaxon Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura WILL all play tonight vs the Dallas Mavericks.Could we get our first look at the potential starting lineup for the Lakers? 👀 pic.twitter.com/EJAjdIaxb0— Lakers Wire (@lakerswire1) October 15, 2025

So absurd. Leaves the Lakers in a lurch and no real reason that justifies why this was scheduled as such…

WOULD LOVE DILLON BROOKS ON LAKERSTruly hated Dillon as a player with his cheap antics to try and get players out of their groove but he is exactly what the Lakers need at small forward. He has always been the best alternative to Andrew Wiggins. Hope we can pull this off or… https://t.co/5oDRC6EZmk— LakerTom (@LakerTom) October 15, 2025

I think the Lakers should trade for Dillon Brooks if the Suns end up tanking. He’s a culture changer. Marcus Smart and Dillon Brooks 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨— LeLukaShow 🪄👑 (@LeLukaShow) October 4, 2025

FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:

PHOENIX — Luka Dončić was back, taking the court with his gold jersey hanging down towards his neon green sneaker. Luka Dončić was back, spinning and faking, spinning and faking and spinning and faking again until he created enough of an advantage to draw a foul and score. Luka Dončić was back, pulling the emergency brake in transition and swishing a three. And even in a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, Luka Dončić was back, rolling his eyes and pleading his case to whichever official he thought was wrong.

The 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes, the 113-104 loss, none of it mattered as much as Dončić launching one-legged 3s and chirping at the first-row fans. Now eight-plus months removed from a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers that left him shellshocked, that, as much as the hooping, made it seem like Dončić was truly back.

“He has an ability to do what I would call it, like, silly stuff, but still be locked in. It’s important to him that basketball is fun,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “He’s at play. And that’s part of what makes him great.”

Over the summer, Dončić’s physical changes were the most obvious. The lighter weight and quicker feet were easy to spot as he played with the Slovenian national team. But the subtler changes, the way he juggled a dead ball with his feet, the way he skipped over courtside fans near the Lakers bench, might be the things that have the Lakers excited too.

On Tuesday, Dončić acknowledged that the trade to the Lakers, the shock of it all, probably zapped some of his joy. His teammates saw it too.

“I’m sure there was a million things going through his head,” Austin Reaves said. “And that’s not saying that he wasn’t fun to be around. He was always, still joking, having fun. But you can tell that, he’s at peace with it. And he’s excited to go to war with us every night.”

That’s been the vibe in camp, the closed-door practices that fans have only gotten glimpses of from social media photos and video snippets. Other things, like swapping jerseys with Jared Vanderbilt for a day, are more indicative of the version of the player the Lakers have now.

“I think by being in a clearer headspace, and by that I mean just mentally and emotionally in balance, it allows you the freedom to just be yourself,” Redick said pregame. “And that gets reflected in his expressions, his interactions with teammates, his interactions with our coaching staff, his desire to toe that line between competition and joy and playfulness that truthfully makes him the special person and player that he is.”

Playing a real game for the first time since the EuroBasket tournament last month, Dončić looked a lot like the best version of himself, a maestro on offense creating high-quality looks for himself and everyone else on the floor. He also, predictably, looked like a player learning this version of the Lakers.

“I felt great,” Dončić said. “That was probably better than I expected. Those first games are kind of rusty, but I was just very happy to be out there again.”

Of the jobs tasked to him this season, maximizing center Deandre Ayton might be the biggest. Against a Suns team resting almost all its regulars, Dončić and Ayton connected just once for a lob with multiple missed connections among Dončić’s five turnovers.

“I mean, it’s probably just more (on) me,” he said of the connection. “Obviously, (I’m) the guard with the ball. But like I said, it’s more talking about it and what he likes. I know he likes the pocket, too. So I’m trying to get used to that too. But it’s just mostly talking about it and playing games.”

Dončić’s debut, along with Marcus Smart’s first game as a Laker, inched LA closer to its opening night roster. A back-to-back scheduled for Wednesday night in Las Vegas in Dallas kept Redick from allowing Tuesday’s game to be a real representation. The Lakers rested wings Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura, guard Gabe Vincent and center Jaxson Hayes, all projected pieces of their rotation.

Reaves scored 25 points, and Ayton finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Suns first-round pick Khaman Maluach had 17 points. Jared Butler scored 35 and former Laker Jordan Goodwin, whom the team waived this summer amidst a roster crunch, had 24.

“We’re trying to form consistent habits, and so if you’re trying to do that, that means everybody,” Redick said after. “That doesn’t mean three guys. We need everybody doing that.”

Still, while the Lakers go through their early-season pains and while they wait for LeBron James to get healthy, there’s some comfort in knowing that their best player looks like someone ready to be at his best.

“Just getting out there and playing basketball for me is amazing,” Dončić said. “I missed it. I think you can see that. … I’m just happy to be on the basketball court again.”

Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves combined for 50 vs Suns in limited minutesTikTok/nbaphilippines pic.twitter.com/WBm6CllhOs— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) October 15, 2025

Luka is going to explode this seasonIn 22 minutes against the Suns: 🔥 22 PTS🔥 6-10 FGM🔥 4-7 3PM pic.twitter.com/9NtyGNi954— Nick Grunewald (@iamnickgrune) October 15, 2025

🔎🔥 Los 22 minutos de Luka Doncic en su primer partido de pretemporada con los Lakers: 25 puntos, 7 rebotes y 4 asistencias ante los Suns.pic.twitter.com/XiblqUZa13— Gigantes del Basket (@GIGANTESbasket) October 15, 2025

Austin Reaves (25 points on 8/16 FG and 4 rebounds) speaks about what needs to get cleaned up for the regular season, his strength and speed heading into year 5, and playing his first full season with Luka. pic.twitter.com/CGaBLKWTYZ— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 15, 2025

AUSTIN REAVES TONIGHT 🌟 29 minutes 🌟 25 points 🌟 4 rebounds 🌟 2 assists 🌟 8/16 FGBEGIN THE ALL-STAR CAMPAIGN 🫡 pic.twitter.com/QNFDRUBVJo— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) October 15, 2025

DEANDRE AYTON TONIGHT 💪 25 minutes 💪 10 points 💪 13 rebounds 💪 3 blocks💪 2 stealsDominAYTON loves playing in PHX ☀️ pic.twitter.com/YnaFtfCY31— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) October 15, 2025

Deandre Ayton had 3 blocks vs Phoenix, all three vs ex-Laker Jordan Goodwin and is now at 2 per game in 23 mpg in preseason.If he can keep it up and his block rates get back to the level of his 2nd and 3rd year in Phoenix, into 2-2.5% range it's gonna be huge for the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/1kLW8lzn9Y— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) October 15, 2025

Could Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves Become Championship Backcourt? While the James, Doncic, and Reaves had a dismal 3-player net rating of +0.1 for the Lakers last season, Luka and Austin posted a strong 2-player net rating of +6.5 for last season, 5th best for Lakers with over… pic.twitter.com/3hmgMgaJGA— LakerTom (@LakerTom) October 14, 2025

Could Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves Become Championship Backcourt? That data suggests the poor fit of Lakers Big 3 last season could have been LeBron James and not Austin Reaves. Don’t forget, last season was the only time since his rookie year LeBron’s season on/off plus/minus… pic.twitter.com/6F4VrKfKsJ— LakerTom (@LakerTom) October 14, 2025

Could Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves Become Championship Backcourt? Surrounded by the right starters and backups, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves could be a championship backcourt. The conundrum is right now the only likely way to get the right starters and backups is trading… pic.twitter.com/6j7ukhU7CL— LakerTom (@LakerTom) October 14, 2025

Great post, this is indeed a very golden opportunity not just for the Austin/Luka pairing and seeing how viable it is (in the early regular season which is just glorified pre-season until Christmas, generally speaking) but for guys on down the roster to show they deserve some run. Jake, Dalton, and Gabe all will need to shoulder some of the LeBron being MIA load.

Honestly, Knecht might end up being the biggest beneficiary if he get his shot to fall and at least compete on D. Vando always had a role carved out, can he expand on it and make taking him out of the starting five a major decision by making some threes? Hasn’t really been able to prove that aspect of his game in a meaningful way, yet, but he’s taking the open shots which is what you need to do.

LaRavia should see some added burn, too, which is good because it’s hard to assess his best fit so far. All in all, this should be considered a mighty silver lining indeed. Of course we don’t want LeBron hurt but I’d far rather see him ease his way into the season then end up in street clothes 3/4 of the way through.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

A lack of LeBron James complicates things for the Los Angeles Lakers, who now have a superstar-shaped hole in their starting lineup to begin the 2025-26 season. Thus, now is the time for experimentation from head coach JJ Redick, as the Lakers don’t have an obvious starting lineup to trot out.

Does Jared Vanderbilt take over LeBron’s starting spot and serve as a defensive forcefield for the offensive-minded Doncic – Reaves backcourt? Does Marcus Smart get the nod, causing the Lakers to run a three-guard lineup but bring some catch-and-shoot upside? Is a bigger wing combo of Rui Hachimura and Jake LaRavia in the cards?

We might not know these answers until opening night when the Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors in a matchup that loses a little luster without LeBron. We haven’t gotten many answers in the preseason, as the Lakers haven’t played a game yet with their whole team; but Vanderbilt has started each preseason game, and LaRavia came off the bench in the most recent game, so do with that what you will.

Projected Lakers starting lineup on opening night without LeBron James

If you held me down and forced me to predict the Lakers starting five on opening night, I would ask why you’re doing such a thing — but I would guess that Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton will be the first five we see later this month. I think Redick will start with size — Vanderbilt and Hachimura are both 6-foot-8, and it will be key to have that size on the wings to offset defensive deficiencies the backcourt provides.

I also don’t think that’s the only starting lineup we’re going to see with LeBron on the sideline throughout the year. My gut tells me Marcus Smart could sneak into the first five at some point (assuming the Lakers are as careful with LeBron this year as they’re expected to be and he sits out numerous games).

Jarred Vanderbilt should look like a totally different player when healthy
Vando’s career with the Lakers has been very start-stop, so seeing him enter a season fully healthy — as he seems to be right now — will be a wonderful change of pace for Lakers fans. He’s not merely a good defender; when healthy, Vanderbilt is one of the most disruptive defenders in basketball.

He doesn’t bring much on the offensive end, but with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as his running mates in the Lakers (likely) starting lineup, he won’t have to, and that’s probably why he’ll be tabbed as the Lakers fifth starter while LeBron gets healthy.

Honestly it might come down to matchups as to whether Vando, Smart or Jake starts. Hard to see Jake getting the nod most nights but you never know. Smaller team, you probably stick Smart in there. Longer team, go with Vando.

If they ultimately decide they want to keep Vando’s role as an off the bench guy then maybe Jake gets the nod on Smart sits?

At any rate, if I’m Coach Reddick I’m not publicly declaring a single thing until you submit the roster for the game that night. There’s just nothing to gain and only crow to eat. Better to play the cards close to the vest, man.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Los Angeles Lakers regrettably lost Dorian Finney-Smith to the Rockets, and Houston is the painfully obvious team to steal Austin Reaves when he hits free agency in the summer of 2026. The 6’5 wing is in line for a massive payday, and the Lakers are limited to what they can offer in an extension. Reaves will hit the open market, and several teams will have interest in signing him.

The Rockets would love a dynamic scoring guard to fit with their young core. They traded for Kevin Durant, but can’t expect the future Hall of Famer to remain elite for five years. Reaves is just entering his prime and would be the perfect scorer to round out Houston’s bruising defensive identity. They likely try to move on from Fred VanVleet after his devastating injury, and Reaves would fit perfectly in FVV’s former role.

The Rockets have several key pieces in their early 20s. They are built for a lengthy run at the top, and landing Austin Reaves would open that window further. AR is a proven floor spacer and bucket getter who would immediately take Houston to a new level. Growth from their young talent could set up a heavyweight showdown with the Thunder for West supremacy for years to come.

Rockets are the biggest threat to steal Austin Reaves from the Lakers
This likely takes a sign-and-trade as the Rockets want to keep Kevin Durant and Tari Eason on fresh extensions. Houston is loaded with young talent and draft capital to make any deal. They could dump money elsewhere, so the Lakers would be forced to play ball. LA got nothing for Dorian Finney-Smith and likely wouldn’t get a massive haul for Reaves.

Houston will be attractive, but AR has stated he wants to be a Laker for Life. The pressure is on LA to make him prove that stance next summer. They must put Reaves in positions to succeed and grow his impressive skill set.

The Rockets are closer to title contention than the Lakers right now. Houston was just the second seed in the Western Conference before adding Kevin Durant. Los Angeles has Luka Doncic. The Slovenian superstar gives them a puncher’s chance, but the Rockets are deeper, more talented, and better positioned to further upgrade their roster. That will all be attractive to Reaves as he looks to win his first championship.

The Spurs, Knicks, Jazz, and more have all been linked to AR already. Reaves will likely be the marquee free agent in 2026, and players of his caliber rarely hit the open market. There will be plenty of drama, but the Lakers hope they can convince him to remain in LA as Luka’s running mate for years to come.

The Los Angeles Lakers will have several threats preparing to sign Austin Reaves in the offseason. Houston is the early favorite, but much will change before he hits the open market. The Lakers are in for a challenge and need to win this to keep Luka Doncic happy. The pressure is already on, and this will be a situation to monitor all season. All fans can do is hope and stay tuned to see how it all plays out.