Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - How the 2026 Playoffs Could Impact the Lakers 2026 Offseason (and Beyond)

Episode Date: April 28, 2026

There are all sorts of different signposts along the path towards building a team in the offseason, whether in the trade or free agent markets. But things can shift as you go from point A to B to C. One of the big ones? The playoffs. Think about last season, when major injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton radically changed the plans for the Celtics and Pacers respectively, and added motion to the offseason markets.  This year, there is already talk of the Warriors doing a significant retool to try and make one more run with Steph Curry. Could the Rockets be in for another retool (around Kevin Durant and others?) given a shaky first round performance and some chemistry questions? With the Magic up 3-1 over the Pistons and Detroit's All-Star center Jalen Duren having a terrible series, there's some chatter that his max rookie extension, believed to be a formality, might not be automatic. And who knows what the Nuggets will do in an offseason where Peyton Watson is a free agent, and they have some very challenging roster choices to make?  The Lakers, of course, have their decisions to make, including about the future of Austin Reaves.  So how has the future started to bend to new events?    HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky    Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub   Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! 5-Hour ENERGY Get candy-flavored chaos with Fruity Rainbow 5-hour ENERGY®️ Shots - available online at https://5hourENERGY.com or Amazon   KALSHI For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code LOCKEDON to get ten dollars when you trade ten. Kalshi. Trade on anything.   DoorDashFrom tipoff to overtime, stay in your bag and order on DoorDash.Get snacks, drinks, gear — whatever gets you through the season — delivered right to your door.DoorDash. In your bag all season long.   Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel.Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins.Visit https://FANDUEL.COMto get started — Play Your Game.   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are the 2026 playoffs impacting what the Lakers could do in the 26 off season? We'll explain next. You are Locked on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks to everybody for joining Locked on Lakers, Brian Keminetsky, Andy Kaminetsky. It's always an interesting time of year, Andy, because not only are the playoffs happening, the playoffs, impact what happens

next. I'll give you an example. I'll give you a couple examples. Peyton Watson who is expected to be a very sought after a player available this off season hasn't played in the postseason

because of a hamstring injury which is just a little cautionary tale there for Luca. He had a recurrence of a hamstring injury that has kept them out. Aaron Gordon's been in and out of the lineup and so they have to make decisions about him and meanwhile, Cameron Johnson's been terrible. So what are you going to do with the Denver's? They could be a completely

different team next year, which impacts what they do with Peyton Watson. Meanwhile, Orlando is taking a 3-1 lead on Detroit in the Eastern Conference. And Jalen Duren, who has been, you know, like ascending like crazy in the Eastern Conference has been awful in this series. And now there are whispers at least in the immediate reaction of the games, what day is this, Monday night's game that maybe the Pistons wouldn't give him a max rookie extension and another team say needing a center, a young center, a young center team like the Lakers could swoop in and maybe make an offer if Detroit doesn't in fact try to bring him back. Austin Reeves hasn't played yet.

All kinds of crazy things happening, Andy. Yeah, I mean, there's a butterfly ripple, butterfly ripple effect to all of this stuff. You know, in the same way that free agents often, you know, it just takes one guy to sign with somebody and then all of a sudden the floodgates open. As far as the Jalen Duren piece of this, like he has struggled in these playoffs, there's no question. I would be stunned if ultimately the piston. didn't give him a bag because A, he's one of their guys.

He's a development win for them. He and Cade played very well together. He's been an issue in these playoffs. There's no question they need him to be better. But he is hardly the only problem the Pistons have had. Plus, with all sincere respect to the Pistons and the city of Detroit, and I really love what they're building over there, good luck getting free agents in Detroit. Like until I start seeing that becoming a thing,

I'm going to continue to believe that it's not a thing. They're not going to have access to somebody better than Jalen Duren. If nothing else, give him the bag, and then if you need to trade him, figure that part of it out. So it would be interesting to see the Lakers or any other team put the pistons to the test with someone like Duren. I ultimately think the answer to the test would be Jalen Duren stays in Detroit because they paid him.

But there are going to, I mean, I think Peyton Watson is a very intriguing case for Denver. I wonder if given Stan Cronkey's reputation for not wanting to pay into the tax unless he knows he has a deadlock winner, like championship contending winner, if that could affect the price that the Lakers or whoever would be willing to put it out there is a restricted free agent for Peyton Watson, before you even start asking the question, how much are you willing to risk with Peyton Watson, given some of the injury history?

It's, when you start to break these things down, you realize, like, how tricky it is. Like, there's always this sort of desire to, you know, you can find flaws in fault with anybody. And, you know, there's Watson, in addition to some of these other things, talking about, you know, relatively untested. You know, when you talk about Denver's season, it's a, you know, probably this, the second most exciting thing other than I guess just watching Yokic dominate again was when Yokic was out and what Watson was doing in that time, just like looking like, oh my God, here's a guy, you know, three, you know, genuine three and D, two-way player, you know, stocks. all over the place and so on. But you don't really know.

And to take him away from Denver, you pay a lot of money to do it. And okay, there's a risk right there. Duran, same kind of thing. I think it is natural to be skeptical. Remember what our reaction to Luca being traded to L.A. was. There must be something going on here. Like, what do they know that we?

We don't. Like there's something. It was so head spinningly what the F just happened that while we were excited, if you go back to our original reaction show where we were trying to figure out what the bleep just happened. And also just quintuple checking that this was not a hack, not just a hack of shams. I was like, is that a deep fake of Brian Winhorst on TV talking about this? Like, does ESPN not realize that they are also being hacked while they think they're talking live with Brian Winhorse? Like, it seems so, it seems so unthinkable that this was happening. Both of us, while excited for it, could not help but ask the question, what do they know?

Because this seems so impossible to justify. I mean, like, it's, it's just like, was he on, like, mescaline? Like, was he out, like out in the desert? Nico or Luca? No, Shams. When he put it out there, was he like out of it? Was he like in Joshua Tree, like, you know, kind of connecting with nature in ways? Like, no judgment here.

But, like, it was just so weird. And neither one of us know Shams well, but doesn't seem to be. It doesn't seem to be. First of all, Shams will never go anywhere where he doesn't have cell service. Again, it seemed out of character. It did seem out of character. But like, I, you know, but you really was, but so you like, you have that same kind of reaction. Like, well, wait a minute.

Duran, like, man, the All-Star team this year, right? Like, what? Yes. He's going to be all NBA. Right. What, on what planet do you not, like, what do they know or what are they seeing? where you're like, well, wait a minute. Like, I don't know how bad you could possibly play.

Be a 23-year-old, 22-23-year-old All-Star where you don't get your rookie extension. Like, or your team plays hardball with you. And none of these things may end up happening. But again, I'd be stunned if it happened with you. But Austin Reeves is kind of similar to. It's like until they're, the, the, the, finances, we can talk about this next, the finances of the new world order in the NBA,

and this is somewhat by design, are such that, like, you get in a lot more trouble with these kinds, like you make a mistake with a $35, $45 million contract. You've got problems. And I think eventually what, who gets a max is going to start creeping backwards. I think we are going to see like max players are going to be the most elite players. And if you're somewhat underneath that, you can still get paid pretty well, but you're not going to be max. Let's talk about Reeves though next because as it relates especially to the Lakers, like all of these decisions that they have to make with their team and stuff like that, so much of it was predicated on Reeves, like what Reeves does in the playoffs, like feeling good about it or feeling bad. about it, what he does in the postseason, it didn't look like the Lakers were going to get that chance.

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Then you're on your go and whatever you need the energy. Boom, there it is. Get candy-flavored chaos with fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots. Available online at five-hourenergy.com or Amazon. So I look at this, you know, like obviously the Lakers really wanted a chance to see Austin and Luca together as a postseason combination. it is still possible that could happen, but obviously you won't see it with the same level of depth, but it's at least possible if the Lakers advance that Luka makes it back,

it seems almost certain that if the Lakers get to the second round, even if AR doesn't play in game five or game six, whatever the Lakers close that, he'll play in the second round. Seems like that's where it's going. The second best thing the Lakers could get is a chance to just see it reaves, you know, with defenses focused on him and all the

how does he perform, does he step up, things like that. But like a bad Reeves postseason. Does that give the Lakers a little bit of pause? Does it put sign and trades in play and all these other things?

Like all of these teams are trying to kind of jigsaw puzzle together something that makes sense trying to avoid the perfect being the enemy of the very good, while also understanding that getting capped at like good to very good, if you're trying to win a championship, you can get stuck. Like these are hugely consequential decisions.

Yeah, I mean, it's interesting with Austin and the Lakers, because in a lot of ways it's felt like they're kind of seeking confirmation bias because quite frankly, they've made up their mind on this. you know, pre-Luca's arrival, just Austin in the mix for the future, it has felt like they've made up their mind on that for a few years now because they've had multiple opportunities to trade them. I imagine they were looking to confirm their priors, but they were also looking to get even more specific information, not just the pieces to put around them. You're missing it with Austin this year at more of a theoretically elevated stage than LeBron, because that was

the hierarchy. Everything was... That was the idea, yeah. Yeah. So it's a different dynamic than seeing Luca and Austin in the playoffs last year, before you even take into account the injuries that Luca and Austin were both playing through last year. It's also been, to be honest, a while since the Lakers have seen Austin perform consistently well in the playoffs. 2024 and 2025 had more issues. You know, there were, and you could explain away certain things or matchups or whatever, but

Austin struggled more. You know, 2023 was his best run, 2024 and 2025, more struggles. Also, Austin being higher on the scouting report. 100%. Being in on him more. Like, those things all matter. You mentioned the idea of sign and trades. sign and trade should be an option for the Lakers or on the table simply because Austin's not untouchable.

I don't even know what sign and trades would be available because they involve Austin agreeing to it. They involve Austin agreeing to stuff. They involve teams have to have. There's so many challenges to putting a trade like that together. But yes, I agree with you. It's not. We have one just, I mean, it's not going to happen. But like somebody was like asking on the on the chat the other day in the live show, would you know, would you do sign trade Austin for Amin Thompson?

Sure. Houston won't. But like, you know, probably won't let without. I'd be pretty surprised. It's going to take a lot of draft count. I'd be very, very surprised. So, right. And so like I say this.

I'm sorry. I mean like you finished thought. Like I say this only because. Because stuff should be out there and the Lakers should open their minds to anything. But the actual, you know, it's a weak free agent year in a time when teams are, I think, going to be a little more cautious and worry about making mistakes, still adjusting to a new CBA and a new money structure. It's not going to be the best environment to do kind of a,

an overhaul where you feel like you get to just follow the ideal blueprint. Well, it's also tricky too because if you're going to get Austin to agree to this, then I think by, I'd be very surprised if you could get Austin to agree to a sign and trade where he wasn't going to a team that's very good. Like he is really competitive. He wants to win. Like, you know, when people have connected the Lakers and Yon, honest, I don't see what use Milwaukee would have for Austin at his age in what should be a

bottom to the top rebuild, like a proper rebuild. He's too old for that. And more importantly, I don't see why Austin would agree to go to Milwaukee. So you start getting into this tricky place where Austin's going to want to go to a team that is good. But at the same time, you need to find a team that will be good, but also is willing to trade out. the pieces, or at least some of the pieces, that make them good. And then if they're a Western Conference team, like the dynamic of, do you want to help your rivals? Like, it starts getting legitimately tricky. Yeah, I think the Lakers stealing Peyton Watson away from Denver is going to cost them a lot for partially for that reason. The nuggets aren't going to let him come to L.A.,

like not without having to do it. The last thing I'll say about this is your point about how it just kind of takes one unexpected thing that's available. Jayland Duren, a team underperforms in the playoffs, and an owner gets impatient, decides to break things up. Kevin Durant becomes available again this offseason, which starts moving players around. And I don't want to say, I don't even want to put this out into the world, but look what happened at the end of last year,

where Tatum gets hurt, where Halliburton gets hurt. That changes the trajectory of what two teams did in this offseason, or last off season. Something like that happens again. Like all of a sudden, so we are not yet, the playing field is not yet set for this off season. And it already seems like the playoffs at least could be having an impact if the nuggets wash out, if the pistons wash out, or unfortunately somebody gets hurt.

It's just something to watch. Or who's something? I mean, the Orlando Magic had been a team that I've been earmarking as potentially one that you could pick apart for scrap, so to speak, like they may be looking to break the thing up because their season had been so underwhelming. All of a sudden, they're up 3-1 as an 8th feed, and they are starting to look more. more like the team that everybody expected them to be in the first place. Right. And they still might end up firing their coach if they got to like the conference final.

Weird world we live in. Lock the Lakers on YouTube is ready to hang out with over 38,000 subscribers. See everyone next time.