The Lakers are moving into a summer decision that could reshape their roster, and one insider says Austin Reaves now sits ahead of LeBron James in the team's priority list. Jovan Buha said Reaves is more of a priority for Los Angeles than James, a view that points to a difficult choice as the franchise weighs who to keep.
The timing matters because the 2026 NBA Finals begin on Wednesday, and the rumor mill is already heating up with only three weeks left before the 2026 NBA Draft officially opens transaction season. Around the league, 28 of the league's 30 teams are already thinking about cap space, but the Lakers' calculation is more complicated because they are trying to protect future flexibility while deciding how hard to push to retain two major names.
Buha's point is not just about sentiment. He said bringing back Reaves could cost the Lakers the cleanest pathway to retaining James, and that detail gets to the heart of the front office's problem. Reaves carries a relatively modest salary cap hold, which gives the Lakers a possible way to work around the books before he is officially signed. James, by contrast, has a cap hold so large that it would effectively swallow the remaining space.
That is why the choice is not as simple as keeping the biggest star available. James remains one of the best players of all time, but Los Angeles is also trying to preserve a route to bigger roster upgrades, and the math can make Reaves the more practical piece to secure first. Luka Dončić is already described as the guy for the Lakers franchise, which only sharpens the pressure to decide how much of the remaining roster should be built around continuity versus cap maneuvering.
For now, the most important question is not whether the Lakers value James. It is whether they are willing to accept that prioritizing Reaves could push James out of Los Angeles. If that happens, the next firm marker arrives in three weeks, when the 2026 NBA Draft starts transaction season and turns a summer conversation into actual roster movement.
