Conversely, while James' future in L.A. still remains up in the air, it's expected that Doncic will re-sign with the team, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. The Lakers can offer Doncic a four-year, $229 million extension on Aug. 2, or he can sign a three-year, $165 million extension with a 2028 player option.

While LeBron James' incredible NBA career continues to defy Father Time, the future Hall of Famer is set to begin his 23rd season. As rumors swirl about how many more years James will play, he's now set to achieve yet another NBA record,

Prior to Ayton's surprising availability, pickings looked fairly slim for the Lakers on the center market. They had previously tried to trade for Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler, but the two sides couldn't agree to a deal.