Interpretation of Lakers contract renewal: DFS can get a bigger contract in July, Xiaoli & Doncic and the Lakers are interested in each other

After a season of change and turmoil coexisting - although the Los Angeles Lakers won superstar Luca Doncic, they ended with a disappointing first round of the playoffs - the outside world is full of doubts about how the team regroups.

After canceling the trade deadline, get the Hornets Mark Williams's deal and abandoning Jaxon Hayes in the playoffs, can the Lakers find a starting center who can partner with Doncic? Will this be LeBron James' last summer? Can they find more talented players with both offense and defense to keep up with the pace of this year's championship Thunder? What will the second year of the JJ-Redick era look like? What surprised everyone (and no one even thought of asking) was the biggest news for the Lakers in decades: the Bass family, who has owned the Lakers since 1979, agreed to sell the majority stake to businessman Mark Walter at a valuation of $10 billion.

Although Walter announced in a statement Thursday that Jenny Buss will continue to serve as the team’s chairman and will continue to monitor all team operations on a daily basis for the foreseeable future. But if the Lakers want to become a real championship team next season, they must adjust their existing lineup with many flaws.

As the free agent market is about to open, how far the Lakers still have to go depends on how you view them.

On the one hand, the Lakers won 50 games in their first season as coached by Reddick and secured the No. 3 seed seat in the Western Conference. The Lakers reached a deal in the middle of the season to bring in Doncic, and he blended well with current stars James and Austin Reeves. And all of this happened when Doncic had almost no valuable training time to run in with the new team due to a strained left calf.

On the other hand, the Lakers lost to the No. 6 seed Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. By the end of the series, Redick had lost confidence in his starting center and pressed Hayes to the bench in the last and a half games. Moreover, the cooperation between the major Lakers players is not perfect.

Doncic and Reeves are loopholes on the defensive end and often overlap on the offensive end. James, who is about to enter his 23rd season, will inevitably experience a certain decline, even if this is only reflected in his attendance rate.

In an interview with reporters after losing to the Timberwolves, Lakers' basketball operations president and general manager Robert Pelinka predicted that this summer will be very active.

"There will be a lot of action in the NBA. It feels like that," Pelinka said on May 2. "There are so many aggressive management expecting success right now. So, I think we have a lot of opportunities to evaluate. I really think so. I'm excited about the offseason and the opportunities we're going to have."

Based on what has happened - during the NBA Finals, teams usually suspend big business to keep the focus on the game, but the Grizzlies trade Desmond Bain to the Magic and the Suns trade Kevin Durant to the Rockets - Pelinka's judgment is correct.

In the days after the Thunder won the championship, the Celtics traded Ju Holiday to the Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks. The Pelicans sent CJ McCollum to the Wizards in a deal centered on Jordan Poole. So far, the Lakers have been out of the way.

But they were related to a deal. Williams was traded to the Suns for the 29th overall pick and a protected first-round pick in 2029 – a deal that the Lakers offered to the Hornets in February in exchange for Williams.

In the first round of the NBA draft on Thursday, there were a lot of draft picks traded, but the Lakers — who had no first-round picks (sent to the Pelicans as part of the 2019 Anthony Davis deal) — were excluded from the action.

And the assets they can use to participate in trades this summer to boost the team are limited. Sources revealed that the only option for the Lakers to use in the free agent market is the $5.7 million luxury tax middle class special case worth $5.7 million, as James is expected to execute the option worth $52.6 million in the last year of his contract.

[Translation Note] According to the latest news, James has confirmed to implement his player options.

In the trading market, when Pelinka looks for centers, Dalton Kneckett and the Lakers' 2031 first-round pick will continue as an active asset that the Lakers can put into the offer, in addition to expiring contracts for Hachimura Shiraki ($18.3 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million) and Maxi Cleber ($11 million).

When asked about the team's core after the season, Pelinka said Reeves would not be traded.

"Confidence in Austin Reeves, LeBron James and Luca Doncic remains at an all-time high," Pelinka said. "I think there is an incredible prospect for these three guys to play together. And we will work together to do a better job to make sure they have the right players around them to achieve ultimate success."

But rumors have spread this week, linking the Lakers' trade negotiations with the Jazz about center Walker Kessler and the trade negotiations with the Heat about wing player Andrew Wiggins. And sources revealed that neither Reeves nor Vincent's agents received any contact from the teams involved, which is usually the routine when the deal is close to completion.

Sources revealed that Kessler was one of the centers the Lakers had quoted before Williams traded last season, but the Jazz's asking price - multiple first-round picks - was too high. The 23-year-old 7-foot center averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds (including a league-high 4.6 offensive rebounds) and 2.4 blocks in his third season with the Jazz. In addition to his age consistent with Doncic's timeline, Kessler will only earn $4.9 million next season, and his salary space will also take up relatively small amounts in the summer of 2026, which allows the Lakers to pursue other free agents while renewing him with Bird terms.

Sources revealed that the Lakers contacted the Hawks last season to ask about their 6-foot-10-inch (about 2.08 meters) inside player Oneka Okongwu, who is athletic and well-versed inside player. Other centers in the contract period that the Lakers have considered internally since last season include Nets' Nicholas Clarkston and Trail Blazers' Robert Williams III, sources said. Other inside free agents that the Lakers can pay attention to include veterans Clint Capela, Al Horford and Brooke Lopez. The rest of the roster will be filled by veteran base salary contract players and second round picks. On Friday, the Lakers sent the 55th pick and cash to the Bulls in exchange for their pick, moving up 10 picks to the 45th place; then traded the 45th pick and more cash to the Timberwolves, eventually picking forward Adu Tierro from the University of Arkansas at the 36th pick. After the draft, Pelinka said in an interview with Spectrum Sportsnet that Tiero, a 6-foot-8-inch striker (about 2.03 meters), 220 pounds (about 100 kg), and excellent athletic ability, can take the Knicks' OG Anunobi as its growth goal.

Meanwhile, there is James -- a source believes he will execute his $52.6 million player option, as well as other players in the roster.

After suffering a second-degree medial collateral ligament sprain in his left knee in Game 5 against the Timberwolves, James, who turns 41 in December, will return to the court for basketball this week.

But sources revealed that before James returned to the court, he had been training in the strength room with his son, Lakers guard Brownie James. This is the first time they have spent a full offseason together after the Paris Olympics last summer. And although James will consider retirement every offseason since 2023, a source familiar with James's ideas revealed that James is not sure that next season will be his last season at the moment.

As for Reeves, he rejected the Lakers' four-year $89.2 million offer this week, which sources said was not surprising.

In the summer of 2026, Reeves is eligible to sign a four-year, $98 million early contract extension, or he can jump out of his last year contract and become a full free agent and then qualify for a contract that accounts for 25% of the salary cap for the 2026-27 season.

Sources said that the Lakers knew Reeves would refuse when making the offer, but the team wanted to express interest in him anyway and did not want to send a wrong signal because they did not provide the offer. Sources revealed that both sides have the motivation to reach an agreement next summer.

forward Dorian Finney Smith had left ankle surgery after the season and had to decide whether to jump out of his $15.4 million contract next season before Monday. He is eligible for an early contract renewal before the free agent market begins on Tuesday.

According to ESPN reporter Bobby Max, the Lakers could offer Smith a three-year, $54 million early contract renewal before Sunday. From Monday to Tuesday, the Lakers can offer him a four-year, $90.2 million early contract renewal, and his player option will be replaced by a new salary.

If Smith chooses to execute a $15.4 million contract next season, then assuming he signs after the July 7 free agent market moratorium ends, he will be eligible to sign a four-year, $96.5 million contract. A source familiar with the negotiations revealed that while Smith is interested in returning to the Lakers, the only way to stay with the Lakers is to execute his contract, he may go elsewhere to look for a multi-year contract. The solution to the

Smith's renewal problem could have a significant impact on the options available to the Lakers. If Smith leaves, the Lakers are equivalent to paying the price of three second-round picks for his half-season access. And they will lose a popular figure in the locker room and a player Reddick absolutely trusts.

But Smith's departure will give the Lakers a full-time middle-class exception worth $14.1 million, which can be split to pursue multiple free agents seeking contracts above the veteran's base salary. And if the Lakers don’t run out of all the middle class specials, they can receive more salaries in the trade and include the excess in their remaining middle class specials.

Of course, there is Doncic, the Lakers' 26-year-old superstar and the future appearance of the team.

On August 3, the Lakers can provide Doncic with a four-year, $229 million early contract renewal. According to Max, Doncic can also choose to sign a three-year, $165 million early renewal contract and have a player option in 2028, which will allow him to sign a maximum salary contract in 2028 that will bring him a salary of 35% of the salary cap for five seasons.

Although it remains to be seen what salary plan Doncic and the Lakers will eventually reach, there is no sign that they will part ways in the near future. A source close to Doncic revealed that Walter's acquisition has had a positive impact.

"You always want the boss to be the richest, so it goes without saying," the source said, "and his past situation says it all... (Doncic) wants to win, and the boss has proven that he wants to win. So it's a win-win."

In addition, sources revealed that Doncic is still motivated by the way the Mavericks treat him after the trade and the way the Lakers end the season, and has been put into offseason training and nutrition programs.

This summer, Doncic will also get a channel for direct communication with the Lakers coaching staff. Sources revealed that Lakers assistant coach Greg Saint-Jean will serve as assistant coach for the Slovenian national team, when Doncic will represent his country in the FIBA ​​European Basketball Championship.

The Lakers may have the rising star Doncic, a smart young coach Redick and a wealthy boss Walter to build their future, but there is still much work to do to maximize the team's current opportunities. Especially when knowing that James' career is coming to an end.

"We will do our best to make the most of what resources the labor agreement gives us," Pelinka told Spectrum Sportsnet on Friday. "We will never give up without doing it well."

Author: Dave McMenamin

Translator: GWayNe