{"id":138611,"date":"2025-05-08T14:50:39","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T18:50:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=138611"},"modified":"2025-05-08T16:00:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T20:00:51","slug":"six-lakers-eligible-for-extensions-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/08\/six-lakers-eligible-for-extensions-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Lakers Eligible for Extensions This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the world waits for news on LeBron James\u2019 future in the NBA, a number of Lakers will become eligible for extensions this offseason. Here\u2019s a look at those six, along with the kinds of paydays some could receive.<\/span><\/p>\n

6 Lakers Eligible for Extensions This Summer<\/b><\/h2>\n

Luka Doncic<\/b><\/h3>\n

Months after the blockbuster deal that sent him to LA, <\/span>Luka Doncic<\/span><\/a> is widely expected to remain with the Lakers and pursue titles with the purple and gold. The 26-year-old made an excellent first impression on Laker fans, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists on .450\/.368\/.782 splits. With the Slovenian superstar appearing to be in it for the long haul, Doncic could take the first step toward that future in early August.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beginning August 2, Doncic is eligible to sign a massive multi-year extension that could take various forms. The first, <\/span>according to ESPN\u2019s Bobby Marks<\/span><\/a>, is a four-year, $229 million deal, \u201c<\/span>where the $51 million first-year salary for 2026-27 replaces the player option for that season.\u201d The second and \u201cmore likely\u201d option (per Marks) is a three-year, $165 million extension with a player option in the third year, which would give Doncic an earlier path back to free agency and an opportunity to regain the $345 million he lost in the trade. Regardless of the choice, most signs point to Doncic remaining a Laker beyond this season. The only question is, which path will he take to continue his future with the franchise?<\/span><\/p>\n

Austin Reaves<\/b><\/h3>\n

Arguably the most notable name to watch from this list (that\u2019s not named Luka Doncic), <\/span>Austin Reaves<\/span><\/a> exceeded expectations in his fourth year. The undrafted guard from Arkansas averaged career-highs across the board\u201420.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists\u2014on efficient shooting splits (46% FG, 37% 3PT, 87% FT). He did this all while shifting between guard slots and becoming a <\/span>primary ball handler<\/span><\/a> midway through the season. Reaves has become an indispensable part of the Lakers\u2014especially next to James and Doncic\u2014and could stick around on another team-friendly deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marks says Reaves is eligible for a four-year, $89.2 million extension beginning <\/span>July 6<\/span><\/a>. If he plays out his last year under contract, he\u2019ll be eligible for a new deal worth 25% of the salary cap, with the first year starting at $42.2 million, per ESPN. The Lakers would likely prefer to keep Reaves around on the former option, and considering his current status with the team as one of LA\u2019s premier players, both sides would be wise to come to an agreement sooner than later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dorian Finney-Smith<\/b><\/h3>\n

Dorian Finney-Smith<\/span><\/a> was the first domino to fall toward the new-look Lakers, as his presence quickly shored up concerns over the need for 3&D wings. DFS made an immediate impact for LA, mostly off the bench. In 43 games (20 starts), he put up 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He also shot 44% from the field and a shade under 40% (39.8) from three. The veteran forward became extension-eligible on February 12, though he since <\/span>admitted<\/span><\/a> he hasn\u2019t given much thought to his future in LA.<\/span><\/p>\n

A February <\/span>report<\/span><\/a> from Lakers Nation\u2019s Ron Gutterman said Finney-Smith could receive a three-year extension worth up to $56.4 million, with a first-year salary of $17.9 million. The team also has his <\/span>Bird Rights<\/span><\/a>, meaning they can go over the cap to sign him without worrying about second-apron ramifications. DFS is an ideal complement to James, Doncic and Reaves, so fans should hope he puts pen to paper at some point this summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rui Hachimura<\/b><\/h3>\n

Rui Hachimura<\/span><\/a> has proven he\u2019s a solid contributor to the starting lineup, even with all of its changes. The 27-year-old averaged 13.1 points and five rebounds per game on .509\/.413\/.770 splits this season and could receive a new deal before his three-year extension expires. However, there\u2019s currently no indication on what kind of extension he could receive. Additionally, considering the Lakers could use his $18 million salary in trades, any talks of another Hachimura extension are in a gray area.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gabe Vincent<\/b><\/h3>\n

Veteran guard <\/span>Gabe Vincent<\/span><\/a> steadied the second unit after a rocky first year with the Lakers, which was marred by injuries and lackluster production. In 72 games (11 starts), the 28-year-old averaged 6.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists on .400\/.353\/.714 splits. He has continually been considered a trade candidate in the past, but those rumors <\/span>could gain steam<\/span><\/a> with his expiring $11.5 million salary. Assuming he stays, Vincent can still be a decent backup to Doncic, though it would be best for him to return on a more team-friendly deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maxi Kleber<\/b><\/h3>\n

The last extension-eligible Laker is one that fans wouldn’t expect. <\/span>Maxi Kleber<\/span><\/a> debuted for the purple and gold in Game 5 of the first round, nailing two free throws in five minutes of action. Kleber was an afterthought for the team with his recovery from a <\/span>right foot fracture<\/span><\/a>. As such,\u00a0fans were surprised to see him deployed in a win-or-go-home situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though Kleber said he\u2019s <\/span>\u201cfully healthy\u201d<\/span><\/a> heading into the offseason, it\u2019s unclear whether he\u2019ll stay or go. If he remains on the roster, the 33-year-old forward\/center could be a floor spacer for Redick, and his familiarity with Doncic is something the Lakers could take advantage of. However, given he was out of the rotation ever since his arrival, it\u2019s understandable why the Lakers would move on from Kleber, as they explore all avenues that get them back to championship form.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a9 Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the world waits for news on LeBron James\u2019 future in the NBA, a number of Lakers will become eligible for extensions this offseason. Here\u2019s a look at those six, along with the kinds of paydays some could receive. 6 Lakers Eligible for Extensions This Summer Luka Doncic Months after the blockbuster deal that sent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":138615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,26,62],"tags":[4556,2272,4921,38,1133,2057,297,4557,759,1749],"class_list":["post-138611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-nba","tag-austin-reaves","tag-dorian-finney-smith","tag-gabe-vincent","tag-lebron-james","tag-luka-doncic","tag-maxi-kleber","tag-nba-free-agency","tag-nba-offseason","tag-rob-pelinka","tag-rui-hachimura"],"modified_by":"Kayla Fonte","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138611"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138630,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138611\/revisions\/138630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}