Kendrick Perkins Warns Lakers Against Relying on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves

The Los Angeles Lakers have a plethora of unsigned free agents as they work towards building a team to contend for the title.

Kendrick Perkins Warns Lakers Against Relying on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves

Kendrick Perkins and Lakers duo Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves (Image via FirstSportz)

The Los Angeles Lakers are openly prioritizing building a team around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as their primary scorers and playmakers.

The two guards have proved in the 2025-26 season that they can will the team to win games. While the Slovenian takes the No.1 spot anytime he is on the court, even with his close friend beside him, Doncic has proved to be the one who can lead the team.

Then, when he is on the bench, Reaves has shown he can run the offense as per the team’s game plan and also turn up clutch whenever the situation demands it.

No wonder the Lakers did not bat an eyelid when handing over $185 million to the undrafted star. They knew other teams were circling him like sharks, and did not want to let the chance of keeping the two friends together.

With the two playmaking scorers locked, the Lakers can expect no shortage of scoring and passing, even after LeBron James has retired. But, as per Kendrick Perkins, depending on the two is going to be a problem.

We’re talking about an historic franchise where it’s no in-between with their fan base. It’s either championships or bust… Two guys who are both defensive liabilities. It ain’t a team in the world, it ain’t a player in the world that’s afraid of Luka and Austin Reaves.

Kendrick Perkins said on Perk Unplugged

The former champion added that teams in the West will be hoping to face the Lakers in the playoffs. That is because everyone knows that going against Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves would be easy, at least when it comes to scoring against them.

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It is not as if the Los Angeles Lakers are oblivious to this piece of information. As much as they would want to defend their players, they are acutely aware of how opposing teams can target both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

In a playoff situation, switching onto them and forcing them to play defense will probably wear them out. Many teams deploy this tactic, as the New York Knicks showed recently in the Eastern Conference Finals.

To counter it, the purple and gold franchise has to surround its two primary players with defensive aces. Along with some clever switching schemes, they could offset the problem. The only concern is whether they can hold on to their best defensive players in free agency.

Lakers going to be doomed. If they let them two boys get away, especially Marcus Smart… (shakes his head).

Joe Johnson said

After he said this, Nightcap co-host Shannon Sharpe reminded his colleagues how opposing teams switched and targeted both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in back-to-back years of playoff basketball.

The proof is there that the Lakers cannot afford to leave them unprotected. However, with teams circling both Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart, it is unwise for the franchise to allow them to leave.

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While fans applauded Austin Reaves for getting the richest contract ever for an undrafted player, others wondered whether the $46 million average salary was going to hamper the Lakers in the years to come.

Marcus Smart (L) and Luke Kennard (R) remain unsigned
Marcus Smart (L) and Luke Kennard (R) remain unsigned (Image via NBNN/X)

Sure, that number will not impact them in free agency, at least until he signs it. But there is fear that the team is doomed. If Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart depart for better salaries, the franchise’s top brass will have to bear the blame.

In the past year and a half, they have been structuring bad deals just to eke the best out of some players. But eventually, there comes a time when those players will want to make the most out of their next paycheck.

If they are not going to get that money from their current team, they could test their value in the open market. The Lakers have to re-sign most of their players to maintain some defensive stability, while also hoping to get their hands on a top-tier center. So far, nothing is going their way.

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