New Lakers Rumors on Plans for Austin Reaves, Kennard, Hayes in NBA FA if LeBron Leaves LA

The Los Angeles Lakers aren't planning to immediately target another star if they have a LeBron James-sized hole in their 2026-27 payroll, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin and Tim Bontemps.

"They have interest in re-signing [Austin] Reaves, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard, team sources told ESPN, not to mention [Rui] Hachimura, if the price is right," the NBA insiders reported Tuesday.

Reaves in particular is headed toward a big payday.

The 27-year-old guard is averaging a career-high 23.5 points and dishing out 5.6 assists per game. Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus ranked him as the third-best player in the 2026 free agent class.

Reaves Goes Off vs. 76ers

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The Lakers can pay Reaves up to $241 million over five years. Even if the final number isn't the full max, a competitive bidding market will drive his price up.

Retaining Kennard and Hayes should be much easier.

Hayes is a serviceable backup big. He's putting up 7.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 18.1 minutes per game. He can probably command more than his current $3.5 million salary, but it's hard seeing a team overpaying for him.

Kennard is in a similar position. He continues to be an elite perimeter threat and is leading the league in three-point percentage (49.1). Beyond that, his skill set is limited.

Because he's such a good floor-spacer, Kennard is a natural complement in an offense led by Luka Dončić that could also have LeBron James for another season. The Lakers shouldn't need to break the bank for him, either.

In the aftermath of Los Angeles' 2020 championship run, general manager Rob Pelinka constantly reshuffled the roster in an effort to find a winning formula with James and Anthony Davis. That led to a lack of continuity on the floor and rosters without a lot of depth beyond the top stars.

As the organization orients its vision around Dončić, Pelinka is clearly trying to avoid those same mistakes.