The Los Angeles Lakers are up 3-2 in the first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, and whenever the postseason ends, they will face plenty of roster decisions.
Questions remain about the future of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, although Reaves is a candidate to sign a massive deal with the Lakers this summer.
Another question is regarding sharpshooter Luke Kennard, who came to LA via a trade with Atlanta Hawks at the NBA trade deadline. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Lakers are planning to prioritize re-signing Kennard this offseason.
Kennard will have Non-Bird rights this offseason, which means the Lakers can offer a $13.2 million deal as a starting point and can go higher as a mid-level exception.
Kennard played in 32 regular-season games for LA, averaging 9.0 points per game with a 44.8 percentage mark from three-point land.
With Reaves and Luka Doncic out for the start of the Lakers-Rockets series, Kennard saw big minutes. Kennard averaged 37.8 minutes through the first five games with 14.4 points per game.
Reaves did return for Game 5 and Kennard remained in the starting lineup, but he scored just 1 point on a 0-for-4 clip in the Lakers’ loss.
Kennard signed a one-year deal worth $11 million with the Hawks prior to the 2025-26 season, and he should get a bit of a pay raise wherever he lands in free agency, although the Lakers will be a favorite to bring him back.
