Luka Doncic trade sets up Lakers to add another superstar in 2026

Trading for Luka Doncic didn't just give the Los Angeles Lakers a 25-year-old superstar. It gave them the flexibility to add another maximum-salaried player next summer.

With LeBron James' contract expiring after 2025-26 and Doncic holding a player option, the Lakers won't have many players under contract for the 2026-27 season. There's Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4M), Bronny James ($2.3M), Austin Reaves, who has a $14.9M player option he'll likely decline and Doncic, if he signs an extension with the Lakers this summer.

The elder James will be a free agent. Reaves can be a free agent, and newly acquired Mark Williams can be a restricted free agent if the Lakers don't extend him before next season.

That means the team should have something like $64M in salary cap space, assuming Doncic signs an extension which would be valued around $51M. That's enough to sign a maximum-salary free agent, and they can use Bird rights to re-sign all their own free agents afterward.

Who might it be? Kyrie Irving, former teammate of both James and Doncic, will be a free agent. So will James' two-time Olympic teammate Kevin Durant. The list of potential free agents includes James Harden, Draymond Green and Kristaps Porzingis.

LeBron James will be going into his age-42 season, but pairing with Doncic and some prime free agents might inspire him to keep it going. All it takes is the Lakers to show a little patience — and making sure not to acquire anyone signed past next season.