It is all happening in Houston, and the sparks have reached all the way down to Los Angeles. Kevin Durant has agreed to a two-year $90 million extension with the Houston Rockets. Though that’s a fat cheque, Slim Reaper has reportedly taken a $30 million cut to help the team with flexibility and have a long-term future with the Rockets. The two-time NBA Finals MVP was eligible for $120 million max extension. But KD’s settling for less has sent a message to the rest of the veterans, especially LeBron James.

The Lakers superstar, who is set to enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in his 23-year career, might feel the repercussions of the Slim Reaper’s decision. Even the Lakers reporter Trevor Lane shared this thought. While discussing this on his show, ‘The Basketball Bulletin’, Lane pointed out the possibility of James following in Durant’s footsteps next summer. “Does he take the footprints in the sand that are now being left by Kevin Durant, the precedent that’s being set by Kevin Durant?” He questioned.

“Does he follow along and say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to take a bunch of money off on my next deal, whether that’s for the Lakers or for anybody else, and open up some more flexibility for the team,’ that he’s going to sign with to do some new again, maybe LeBron retires. We don’t know where this is going to go,” Lane further suggested. The reporter also stated that even though we might not make much of Durant’s action today, next summer things will be a lot different.

While many might argue that the 21-time All-Star has been performing incredibly, will the front office be willing to splash big money on him? James’ bargaining becomes even harder knowing that a player like Kevin Durant has taken such a massive salary cut. But what separates the 41-year-old from the rest of the veterans is his numbers. James finished the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 24.4 points along with 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists, making him not just a veteran with experience but the star of the team.

Also, we don’t know what the future holds for LeBron James, as he might even call it quits. More so, because the new season hasn’t even started, and he’s already suffered a massive blow after sustaining an injury. Nonetheless, while there’s a fair chance that if James does decide to stay in Southern California, he might have to take a significant pay cut, nothing can be said with certainty at the moment. Meanwhile, the Purple & Gold’s front office has plenty more to deal with next summer.

The Lakers face a huge Austin Reaves problem

Austin Reaves is entering his fifth season in the NBA, and it’s been quite a ride for the shooting guard. He started his journey as an undrafted player and has now become an integral part of the Los Angeles Lakers roster. The 2025-26 season will be huge for Reaves as he’s currently in the second-to-last year of his four-year $53.8 million contract, with the next season being a player option. He has reportedly declined the $90 million 4-year offer.

For Reaves, if the season pans out well, he knows he will earning more than $30 million a year. This means that the Purple & Gold might have to break the bank if they intend to keep his services. In fact, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, the Lakers might have to offer a deal worth around a whopping $240 million over five years.

“The most likely path for Austin Reaves is to decline his $14.9 million player option for 2026-27, then to re-sign with the Lakers as an unrestricted free agent. For reference, here’s the projected max the Lakers could offer Reaves next summer:

• 2026-27: $41,500,000
• 2027-28: $44,820,000
• 2028-29: $48,140,000
• 2029-30: $51,460,000
• 2030-31: $54,780,000 (player option)
• Total: five years, $240,700,000″

Nonetheless, these numbers are adjusted according to a maximum deal for which Austin Reaves will be eligible. But until he proves to be an instrumental piece for the franchise in the upcoming season, the Lakers won’t be willing to offer him such a massive deal. Last season, the shooting guard did show glimpses of his All-Star potential, but faded out in the playoffs. So, will the Lakers be willing to splash such a huge amount on Reaves? That’s something we’ll have to keep an eye on in the coming months.