NBA Rumors: Lakers, LeBron James, Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns, Nets

Lakers

The Lakers’ offseason still revolves around one man.

No, not Luka Doncic. LeBron James.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, one of the biggest questions facing the Lakers is determining what James’ next contract might look like and how it impacts everything else they hope to accomplish.

The Lakers are expected to prioritize keeping Austin Reaves, but retaining your own players doesn’t necessarily improve the roster. It simply keeps the roster intact.

That’s where things get tricky.

Los Angeles still needs help, particularly in the frontcourt, and the front office will have to balance building around Doncic while also deciding how much money to devote to James, who remains productive despite entering his age-42 season.

Many around the league continue to believe James ultimately returns. The bigger question may be what the Lakers can accomplish around him.

Knicks

Winning a championship is the fun part. Paying for it can be a little more complicated.

The Knicks still have their entire starting lineup under contract after capturing their first title since 1973, but several key reserves are headed toward free agency.

As relayed by Jack Nisse of the New York Post, Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet are among the players New York would like to retain.

The challenge, of course, is the salary cap.

The Knicks are already projected to operate near the luxury-tax aprons, meaning every additional contract comes with added complications and restrictions.

Meanwhile, an extension for Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to become an important offseason topic. Towns endured some ups and downs during the regular season, but his value became increasingly apparent throughout the playoffs.

Nets

The Nets may be one of the more fascinating teams to watch this summer.

Not because they’re contenders. Because they don’t want to stay where they are, as outlined by Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Brooklyn doesn’t control its own first-round pick next year, removing much of the incentive to bottom out again. That means the front office is expected to explore ways to improve the roster sooner rather than later.

The Nets have already been linked to Lakers free agent Austin Reaves, though most insiders still expect him to remain in Los Angeles.

Brooklyn could also explore younger free-agent targets or attempt to move around in the draft. The problem is that many teams picking near the top appear reluctant to move those selections.

Either way, after several years of rebuilding, the Nets seem ready to start looking for a faster path back toward relevance.