I’m wondering how LeBron’s & Reaves’ $80 million in cap holds factor into all this?

I want the Colonizer lineup..
Luka
Reaves
Jake
Maxi
Timme
Then I’ll enjoy a bologna & mayo sandwich on wonder bread.
Relax…it’s just jokes…lol

Lakers name Lon Rosen president of business operations. pic.twitter.com/u4UHXkSAZ9— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 19, 2026

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Are the Clippers about to get sunk?

A true story from Sunday afternoon inside the $2 billion house that Steve Ballmer built (Intuit Dome): I’m using one of the many urinals that the LA Clippers owner is so proud of — there are more than 1,400 toilets in all, if you hadn’t heard — when his booming voice comes through the speakers with a mildly uncomfortable message for those of us in the men’s room.

“We love No. 2!” Ballmer bellowed as he addressed the All-Star game crowd before tipoff.

Get your mind out of the gutter: He was talking about Kawhi Leonard.

Yet with everything that has transpired in Clippers land these past five months, from the early September Pablo Torre podcast that detailed salary cap circumvention allegations surrounding Leonard to the league launching its investigation a few days later until now, the kumbaya vibe between this owner and this star player was quite a sight to see. Especially considering what might come next.

In the weeks leading up to Ballmer’s big bash, there was a significant upswing in league-wide speculation that the NBA’s hammer is likely to fall on the Clippers. This was a noticeable shift from earlier in the season, when so many seemed to believe that the Leonard/Aspiration scandal might come and go without any substantive punishment being handed down.

There’s still no official resolution on this front; NBA commissioner Adam Silver indicated on Saturday that the results weren’t yet in from the investigation.

“I haven’t come to any decisions whatsoever yet on the Clippers’ matter,” he told reporters during his media availability. “As you know, the league office is not directly running the investigation. That’s being overseen by a law firm, Wachtell, in New York. From everything I’ve been told, the Clippers have been fully cooperative. But as I said, I’m not involved day-to-day in the investigation.

”I think, as I’ve said before, it’s enormously complex. You have a company in bankruptcy (Aspiration, which gave Leonard a no-show endorsement deal that was allegedly facilitated by the Clippers). You have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that have been needed to be interviewed. I will say, just in case anyone is wondering, the fact that All-Star is here this weekend has had no impact on the timeline of the investigation. Our charge to the Wachtell law firm is (to) do the work and then come back and make recommendations to the league office, and that’s where things now stand.”

For the past two decades, when the NBA has needed a sensitive issue investigated, it’s repeatedly called on the same law firm.

That last part about the timing of it all is worth unpacking, as there has been chatter among rival teams for months now that the league was delaying its announcement for the sake of salvaging All-Star Weekend. Yet until the ruling comes, the Clippers’ every move will continue to be analyzed by league folks and fans alike.

Did they give president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank a lucrative and lengthy extension months ago as a preemptive battening of the hatches? Was the Ivica Zubac deal with the Indiana Pacers perhaps motivated by the desire to secure first-round draft picks in case the Clippers have to forfeit draft picks? Did James Harden want to get out of Dodge, err, Inglewood (and off to the Cleveland Cavaliers) in part because of the chaos that might be coming around the bend? This is the sort of stuff that has been bandied about for some time now, and which will be interesting to revisit when clarity finally comes.

As for the actual basketball, the Clippers have done a remarkable job turning things around despite all the distractions (I didn’t even mention the unflattering Chris Paul exile). Since Dec. 20 — when they were an embarrassing 6-21 — they’ve won 20 of 27 games while posting a net rating of 5.6 that is seventh in the league. It remains unclear when newcomer Darius Garland (who came to the Clippers from Cleveland) will make his debut, as he’s continuing to recover from the left toe injury that required surgery in the offseason (he hasn’t played since Jan. 14). Our Law Murray reported on Wednesday that Garland isn’t expected to play until March.

I don’t think the penalties will be as harsh as most fans are imagining.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Where will LeBron James be next season?
Last week, after he became the oldest player to record a triple-double, 41-year-old James discussed one major factor that could determine how long the NBA’s leading career scorer stays in the league.

“My game is not going anywhere. It’s just my body,” James told reporters after the Lakers’ win over the Dallas Mavericks before the All-Star break. “[But] how long can I stay in love with the process?

“Because that’s always been my thing. If I can’t continue to stay in love with the process, then if [my mental commitment] goes, then my body’s going to go. And once my body goes, then it’s a wrap.”

Remarkably, James, who has averaged at least 33 minutes and 20 points in every season of his career, is on pace to add a 23rd consecutive year to the list.

James’ options for a 24th season? This offseason, the pending free agent can:

Return to the Lakers

Sign with a contender

Retire

Re-signing with Los Angeles would come with a significant pay cut from his current $52.6 million. But, few contenders are projected to have cap space this summer. For example, it’s likely that the Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and Knicks could offer LeBron only the veteran’s minimum exception.

How will the Lakers continue building around Luka Doncic?
Since trading for Doncic in February 2025, the Lakers have been operating under two timelines: LeBron’s and Luka’s.

“Having optionality now is really a positive thing for us this coming offseason,” president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said after this season’s Feb. 5 trade deadline.

This offseason, the franchise’s top priority is re-signing Austin Reaves, who will likely decline his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27 to pursue a long-term extension.

Before injuring his left calf on Christmas, Reaves was averaging a career-high 26.6 points and shooting better than 50% from the field. (In five games since returning, Reaves has averaged 20.0 points on just 25.4 minutes.) “I’ve said it a million times. I want to be in L.A. I love it,” Reaves told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin in November.

“Even though the other extension was turned down, that doesn’t mean that I’m trying to go get a f—ing gigantic number that doesn’t make sense. I want to be here; I want to win.”

The Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets are among the teams with enough spending power to sign Reaves to a lucrative contract. But as the Bucks showed when they waived and stretched Lillard’s contract last season, teams without cap space have methods to manufacture cap space.

Because of Reaves’ $20.9 million free agent hold, the Lakers could have up to $50 million in cap space this summer, the most of any team. To create that room, however, Los Angeles would need to renounce every free agent on the roster — including LeBron.

Besides James and Reaves, which other free agents should we watch?
Peyton Watson and Collin Gillespie.

In Watson’s case, Denver failing to reach an extension before the season could be costly.

“With the new CBA and the second apron, things of that nature, [the Nuggets] wanted to stay out of that,” Watson told The Denver Post in October. “As a business, you’ve gotta operate [based on] what’s best for your business. And when it comes time for me to make my decision next summer, I’ve gotta operate as a business myself.”

Upcoming NBA games on ESPN/ABC

Friday, Feb. 20
Mavericks at Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. ET
Clippers at Lakers, 10 p.m. ET

Saturday, Feb. 21
Rockets at Knicks, 8:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, Feb. 22
Cavaliers at Thunder, 1 p.m. ET
Nuggets at Warriors, 3:30 p.m. ET

Watson is a restricted free agent this offseason, allowing Denver to match any offer sheet. The Nuggets are projected to be $3.6 million below the second apron next season.

Watson, named a Western Conference Player of the Week in January, is averaging career highs in points and shooting efficiency this season. And in 39 starts, he is averaging 17.5 points with a 50.4 field goal percentage and 41.7% shooting from 3.

Gillespie, meanwhile, has outplayed the one-year, $2.3 million contract he signed with the Suns.

He scored a career-high 30 points in a Feb. 3 win against the Portland Trail Blazers and has at least six assists in 16 games this season. The Suns are plus-4.8 points per 100 possessions when Gillespie is on the floor, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Gillespie is eligible to sign a four-year, $66.6 million contract with Phoenix. Because he has early Bird rights, the contract must be a minimum of two seasons (not including an option).

As for the rest of the free agent class, here are the top names to watch:

All-Star level: LeBron James, Jalen Duren (restricted), Austin Reaves, James Harden (player option)

Top starter level: Trae Young (player option), Lu Dort (team option), Draymond Green (player option), Walker Kessler (restricted), Norman Powell

Starter level: Peyton Watson (restricted) Neemias Queta (team option), Collin Gillespie, Deandre Ayton (player), Harrison Barnes, Coby White, Mitchell Robinson, John Collins, Tari Eason (restricted), Rui Hachimura, Tobias Harris, Kevin Porter Jr., (player option), Isaiah Hartenstein (team option), Jaden Ivey (restricted), CJ McCollum, Kristaps Porzingis, Fred VanVleet (player option), Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine (player option), Andrew Wiggins (player option) and Mark Williams (restricted)

Gianni’s can still still defend which is paramount for a team featuring Luka. That’s the biggest difference.