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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Kendrick Perkins didn't hold back when assessing the Los Angeles Lakers' future behind superstar Luka Doncic and recently retained guard Austin Reaves, calling out their issues and the team's issues in a podcast rant.
Earlier this month, the NBA reported via multiple sources that Reaves will sign a massive four-year, $185 million contract to remain with the Lakers. That contract also includes a player option in its final year.
Along with that, the Lakers already have Luka Doncic, one of the best players in the world, when he's healthy. He missed the entire NBA Playoffs to recover from injury, while LeBron James attempted to carry the team as far as he could, which was to the second round.
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"What y'all just told the world basically is that Luka and Austin Reaves are your franchise players," Perkins said on "Perk and Killa Unplugged" via the Road Trippin YouTube channel. "We're talking about a historic franchise. There isn't no in between when it comes to their fanbase, it's either championship or bust."
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"Y'all basically tellin us that we have the belief that two guys in Austin Reaves and Luka are gonna get us back to the top in the tough Western Conference. Two guys that are both defensive liabilities," Perkins said, adding, "There isn't a person in the world, player in the world or team in the world that's afraid of Luka and Austin Reaves."
Along with that, he called out Luka for saying he wants an "A-list center" for the Lakers. However, Perkins said there aren't any available that will help them compete with players like the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama or the "twin towers" on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Perkins sounding off about those issues arrives as the Lakers seem to be on the verge of losing their other superstar, LeBron James. There has been speculation that LeBron will leave to return to his original team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, to close out his career.
However, more rumors have emerged that the Golden State Warriors are considering a major move to add Anthony Davis and LeBron to the roster to contend in the Western Conference for the playoffs and possibly a championship.
Meanwhile, the Lakers drafted guard Cameron Carr in the NBA Draft with their No. 24 pick, and their issues at center remain glaring when it comes to competing with Wemby, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and other bigs in the West.
According to NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin, DeAndre Ayton is expected to pick up his $8.1 million player option and return to the team, and the team could look to add the Knicks' Mitchell Robinson as a big man. However, Robinson has injury woes, and neither he nor Ayton seems like a significant solution to the Lakers' frontcourt issue.
Regardless of what LeBron does, the Lakers seem to be in a spot where they need to seriously examine the future of their franchise and see how other teams are succeeding right now. They clearly have to make some big decisions about the roster and bolster their frontcourt so it can contend in the West.
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