Both LeBron James and Luka Doncic don’t have too long left on their contracts. Every Lakers fan is concerned about these two’s future with the club after the early exit in the playoffs at the hands of Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. But a private meeting between one star of the aforementioned duo and the Lakers front office has cast uncertainty over the entire Lakers squad’s futures. And it may be Austin Reaves who’s first on the chopping block.

The Lakers’ roster is in quite an uncomfortable situation right now, as pointed out by Rachel Nichols on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “There are two guys on that roster right now who are safe, and those are Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Everyone else is up for conversation,” she said. This is worrying for someone like Austin Reaves, who had his defensive capabilities exposed by Minnesota in the first round. The writing may be on the wall for AR.

Rachel Nichols believes the Lakers need “an interior defensive presence, preferably someone who is a rim-running center who can finish things.” But not just that, she also thinks they need a wing that can take advantage of Luka’s passing. While AR can provide that option, his and Luka’s presence on the court means the opposition always has “targets,” per Nichols.

And she agreed with what Colin said on the show earlier about other teams being “younger, deeper, with more dexterity.” To remain competitive in such a league, the Lakers must prioritize team chemistry and defense. But Austin Reaves and Luka’s presence hurts the Lakers’ defense, making AR a liability on both counts. You see, the early exit in yet another Playoffs series rang alarm bells throughout LA.

Even more so after bringing in Luka Doncic, yet meeting the same fate as the previous year. Therefore, with the spotlight firmly on roster changes and a clear need to reshape the team around Luka’s strengths, big decisions loom over the Lakers’ front office and head coach. Perhaps that’s why they had the aforementioned private meeting with Luka Doncic.

Rob Pelinka, JJ Redick, and Luka Doncic have a private meeting in an LA restaurant amid doubt over Austin Reaves’ future

JJ Redick, Rob Pelinka, and Luka Doncic were recently spotted grabbing dinner at Craig’s, a popular West Hollywood spot. It’s no secret they’ve got a big summer ahead, and that meeting likely wasn’t just about the food. According to Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, Luka’s got a few options on the table. He could just ride out his current deal, which includes a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season.

Or, if he’s ready to fully commit, he could decline that option and sign a massive five-year, $296 million extension to stay in L.A. On the flip side, he may want a fresh start elsewhere. To that end, he could walk in 2026 and sign a four-year, $219 million deal with another team. Either way, the Lakers know they need to get this right, and they need to do it quickly. But if they’re able to, what does that mean for the rest of the team?

Well, let’s start with the obvious first. If Luka decides to stay, it may be time to say goodbye to AR. After all, Nichols and Cowherd’s assessments were bang-on. And aside from Doncic himself, Austin Reaves is the Lakers’ most valuable player if you’re another club. That’s, of course, if you don’t count the 40-year-old King, LeBron James.

And his case is a little more interesting. Given how incredible he still plays at 40 and the cash he rakes in for the Lakers, he’s probably not going anywhere. Unless he wants to. He did say he had some “things to think about” when asked about his future. Granted, things may still have been raw since it came on the heels of the series loss to Minnesota in Game 5. Regardless, LeBron may still be on his way out.

If that happens, there’s no telling what the Lakers may look like next season. AR may still be offloaded to bring in players that are a better fit around Luka. But the assets the Lakers may gain from LeBron’s exit and the room in their salary cap that’ll be freed may end up giving the Lakers a lot of options. Nonetheless, this saga has gotten very interesting after this private meeting between the player and the club. And things will only get wilder from here!