Lakers Insider Says There's No 'Grand' Plan for LA's Salary Cap Amid LeBron Rumors
Los Angeles Lakers insider Jovan Buha believes the Lakers would consider signing a star player to a long-term contract in the near future despite reportedly prioritizing cap flexibility for the post-LeBron James era.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin previously reported when detailing the Lakers' decision to let Dorian Finney-Smith walk in free agency that general manager Rob Pelinka wanted "to preserve cap space for 2027, when the team expects to have space to sign a max-salary free agent."
"If the Lakers are going to punt on the next two years of Luca [Dončić]'s prime, I think that would be a giant mistake. I think Luca would think that's a giant mistake. And I don't think the Lakers are going to do that," Buha said at the 1:15 mark of Friday's Buha's Block podcast.
Buha continued, "In talking to more people about this, there's no grand 2027, like, we're going to keep our cap sheet completely clean. We're not going to acquire any potential difference-makers or make any aggressive moves. I think that the calculus from the Lakers' side is more, we would like to keep that cap flexibility, and we are going to prioritize one- to two-year deals as we build next season's roster, or the following season's roster, but there are exceptions.
"And if the right player becomes available, on the trade market or in free agency, and it's a player that fits with the potential core around Luca, around [Austin Reaves], around that potential second superstar once LeBron leaves or retires, then they will add that player to the core."
Buha's report comes after James' agent, Rich Paul, said in a statement shared by ESPN's Shams Charania that James "wants to compete for a championship."
"He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all," Paul said.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported on Friday that the Lakers had not had any "substantial discussions" about extending James before he took his player option for the 2025-26 season, opening up the possibility that he and the franchise will part ways next spring.
Should the team successfully extend Dončić, James' departure would leave them looking for a superstar to pair with the former Dallas Mavericks guard— and star players including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić are currently set to become free agents in 2027.
Should a free agency or trade opportunity open up before then, however, it doesn't sound like Buha believes the Lakers' interest in Antetokounmpo or Jokić would keep them from making a move as the team looks to capitalize on the beginning of the Dončić era in Los Angeles.
