The best outcome of the February 5, 2025, trade has to be Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ friendship. But how many times have such bonds won championships? You aren’t the Splash Brother. You are not the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade duo. And that’s the reality, the Los Angeles Lakers are seemingly bypassing… and maybe on purpose.

After the Lakers’ 96-139 loss against the OKC Thunder on Thursday, the Boston Celtics legend Kendrick Perkins served truth on a platter. According to him, the Purple and Gold aren’t strong enough to go far this season. He believes their best outcome is a second-round exit because they struggle against top teams like the Thunder and Spurs. The Lakers hold a 0-3 and 1-3 record against both teams, respectively.

Even tougher matchups could knock them out early. Say, if the Denver Nuggets come before them, then that matchup will also be a difficult one, according to Big Perk. Especially with Luka injured, their chances get worse, and without him, Perkins feels they likely won’t even survive the first round.

Then he hit the nail. Perkins told Stephen A. Smith, “Big picture here, though, last night showed me that if you’re the Lakers, you cannot invest all your money into Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic as your two franchise guys going forward if you’re expecting to win the championship. Those two guys cannot be your franchise guys, taking up the majority of your dollars and take you to the promised land.”

Kendrick Perkins wants the best for Austin Reaves. He wishes that the 28-year-old may get his deserved pay, the probable 5-year, $24o million contract extension this offseason. He also thinks he’s one of the best offensive players in the league now. “But if we’re talking big picture and we’re talking about the future of the Los Angeles Lakers, that moment last night and their record against the top two seeds in the Western Conference should remind them,” the former NBA champ continued.

“Or have them rethink things, as far as who’s going to be leading the charge in the near future when it comes down to their two franchise guys.” In simple terms, the Lakers must rethink their future. Based on how they performed and their poor record against top teams, Perkins doesn’t believe their current two main stars, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, are enough to lead them to a championship. Thus, he’s questioning whether these are the right players to build the team around going forward.

LA has already handed Doncic a 3-year, $165 million contract extension last August. He will earn $49 million next season, making him the highest-paid star on the team. Next, the front office might give AR a 5-year, $240 million extension this offseason. That would give him an approx. $48 million paycheck next season, making him the second-highest-paid star. If the team is willing to invest so much, they should carefully consider who the center of attraction will be.

Now, several experts of the game, including Shannon Sharpe and Colin Cowherd, have criticized LA. And the simple reason is this: the OKC Thunder exposed them like never before.

Luka Doncic & Co. face harsh criticism

The Oklahoma City Thunder outmatched the Los Angeles Lakers. The game came to a point where it wasn’t even worth watching. Moreover, OKC has dominated them throughout the season. They’ve led by 30 points at halftime in 3 games, including 2 against the Lakers. This shows a clear gap in quality. Therefore, Colin Cowherd said, “Sometimes it’s hard to tell a fake Louis Vuitton bag from a real one until they’re next to each other.”

After winning a championship like the Thunder did last year, the team focuses less on the regular season. At least, that’s what Cowherd believes. He added, “Here’s what the Thunder care about—humbling the Lakers and going after Luka to get SGA the MVP. They made a point from the very beginning to not only hunt Luka defensively, but make him work for every basket. And before he limped off in the third quarter, he was one for seven on threes, three for 10, with six turnovers. They made a point to go after Luka on both ends.”

The analyst claimed that he predicted this for 2 months—the Lakers would struggle against OKC, San Antonio, and Minnesota. Last night, OKC shot 70% when Austin Reaves guarded them and 65% against Luka. In just 5 minutes, the Lakers were blown out. LeBron was minus 37, took only 7 shots, and Austin got hunted from the first possession. “So let’s stop thinking the Lakers are a championship team,” Colin Cowherd said.

To put things into perspective, the Los Angeles Lakers have been exposed. Experts say Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves cannot carry this team alone. And their struggles against top teams show the roster is lopsided, the offense predictable, and the defense exploitable. If the Lakers want to compete for a championship, the front office must rethink who leads this team. Until then, hope is a dangerous illusion.