Luka Doncic already had to deal with a lot of major changes in 2025, moving from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. One would hope change is something Doncic embraces, because the Lakers are set to undergo a massive makeover over the next few seasons.
This was something Brian Windhorst and company touched on during a recent episode of The Hoop Collective. The ESPN reporter was quick to remind everyone how poised the Lakers are to make changes over the next few years.
Windhorst stated, "I don't know what's going to happen with Austin Reaves. ... We talked about [it] earlier this week. Their whole team, basically, are free agents after this year. I'm not sure that any of the current Lakers, other than Luka, will be there three years from now."
Tim MacMahon did not think that was a bad thing. The ESPN analyst thought it would be easy to convince players to come play in Los Angeles for 'the league's most glamorous franchise.' Tim Bontemps agreed, expressing that the Lakers have the most built-in advantages of any team in the NBA.
Luka Doncic may be the only constant in a sea of change for Lakers
Off the bat, the question mark around Reaves may not be as big as hinted at by Windhorst. The Lakers guard keeps providing Rob Pelinka with plenty of reason to want him as a part of the long-term future in Los Angeles.
Apart from that, the analysis is pretty on the mark. The changes in Los Angeles may be abundant, turning this team into a much different version of itself after three years.
LeBron James, Doncic's main running mate, is headed for retirement in the near future. It is certainly not impossible to think James could maintain an elite level into his mid-40s and keep playing.
LeBron also gave plenty of reason to believe 2025-26 will not be his last season at Lakers Media Day. However, his overall future with the team is still shrouded in doubt.
Deandre Ayton will certainly be auditioning for a long-term spot, and bigger payday, in Los Angeles this season. Jake LaRavia will want to prove he is worth keeping around as a role player. Perhaps even Bronny James makes his mark in the rotation in the next few years. Adou Thiero will still be on the upswing.
Apart from that, there are a lot of expiring contracts and declining, or otherwise mediocre, skill sets among this roster. Pelinka understands this, and the contracts have been structured in a way to reflect that.
Change can be scary. Doncic has certainly seen a lot of it during the past year. However, in this case, it should be a good thing for the Lakers.