At some point over the next year, the Los Angeles Lakers will commit to a future either with or without Austin Reaves. He's eligible to sign a contract extension, but can become an unrestricted free agent as soon as the summer of 2026.
As the Lakers ponder their next move, one harsh reality has revealed just how complex the Reaves situation truly is: He, Doncic, and James make for one of the worst defensive trios in the NBA.
Los Angeles acquired Doncic in a pre-deadline deal that few argued against the logic of. It partially represented a shift in the Lakers' ideology toward something in between a youth movement and a prioritization of players who are still in their athletic prime.
Even the most staunch of James fans were willing to concede that the 40-year-old's undetermined date of retirement left the Lakers in a position in which a superstar acquisition was welcome.
The player who may be impacted more than any other, however, is Reaves. He appeared to be the guard of the future in Los Angeles, but with Doncic entering the fray, the patience that was once shown for his development is running thin.
The hurdle now in front of Reaves and the Lakers: Determining if the top three players on the roster can consistently share the court and produce championship-caliber results.
Lakers played woeful defense with Doncic, James, and Reaves sharing the court
Los Angeles turned in an impressive second half of the season on the defensive end of the floor. It ranked No. 10 in the NBA in defensive rating after Jan. 15, with the acquisition of now-departed forward Dorian Finney-Smith playing a direct role in its success.
Unfortunately, across 870 possessions with Doncic, James, and Reaves sharing the court, the Lakers ranked in the 14th percentile in defensive rating.
That's a startling number when one considers that the Lakers are building around that trio. Perhaps a full offseason and more reps to build chemistry will improve the results, but the point from which they're attempting to improve is ranking among the worst three-man lineups in the NBA on defense.
If the Lakers fail to defend at an at least adequate level when their top three offensive players share the court, it would be difficult to imagine a championship being a realistic goal.
Moreover, with Doncic prioritizing winning above all else, the Lakers will soon need to decide which of the current players on the roster fit around him. Despite their lofty production, that will ultimately include James and Reaves when the time comes to make difficult decisions.
Both will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, meaning there's a realistic possibility that Los Angeles could lose two of its top three players without getting anything in return.
In the event that the Lakers' star trio struggles to establish chemistry on the defensive end of the floor, the trade deadline will become a captivating event. Los Angeles must convince Doncic to re-sign by next summer, and doing so may require parting with an incompatible star-caliber teammate.
It's too soon to determine if that will need to transpire, but if the Lakers are unable to right the ship defensively, it would be difficult to justify keeping a core together that struggles this mightily.
