The idea of Anthony Davis back in purple and gold makes for a juicy conversation, but the numbers and the mechanics around the deal make it a long shot for the Lakers next summer.
Los Angeles is already dealing with the same cap squeeze that has hit plenty of teams around the league, and the first apron hard cap has limited how aggressive they can be. Even so, the Lakers managed to build a strong roster with the tools they had. And now, with updated league projections, they may be sitting on even more breathing room than expected.
According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz and John Hollinger, the NBA has revised its salary-cap outlook for the 2027-28 season. They wrote:
“ The NBA recently informed teams of its updated salary-cap projections for the 2027-28 season, league sources told The Athletic, with the new projections coming in $2 million higher than the league’s previous numbers. Those sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because the projections have not been made public, said the league is now projecting the 2027-28 salary cap will rise to $176 million and the luxury tax line will be $213 million.”
That jump, projected at 6.7%, matters across the league. For the Lakers, it matters a lot.
They are expected to have an active cap of $199.0 million next summer, which would leave them about $14 million below the tax line and more than $22 million below the first apron. In practical terms, that gives Los Angeles some room to add talent without giving up Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves. It also naturally leads to the question of who they should target.
That’s where Davis enters the discussion. Some around the league have floated the idea of a reunion with the former Lakers star, and on paper it has obvious appeal.
He won a title with the team, remains one of the franchise’s defining big men, and would presumably slot into his preferred role at power forward now that L.A. has a true center. During his Lakers run, Davis posted averages of 24.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game.
But the dream runs into reality fast.
Davis is currently on the Wizards’ payroll and can be extended by Washington. Extension talks have been delayed so the team can evaluate him over the course of the season, which means he is not an expiring contract. He also has a $62.7 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
If Davis picks up that option, the Lakers would not have the pieces outside of Doncic, Reaves, and Walker Kessler to put together a workable trade. They could try to absorb part of his contract without sending matching salary, but that route comes with a steep price: it would hard cap them at the first apron and leave the rest of the roster to be filled out with minimum deals. That kind of setup would make contending harder, not easier.
That leaves free agency as the only real path, and even that hinges on Davis declining his player option. In that scenario, Los Angeles could make a run at the 10-time All-Star and try to sell him on a more team-friendly contract.
It sounds like the cleanest version of the reunion. It also sounds highly unlikely.
Davis is 34 and still producing at a high level. Last season, he averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. He remains one of the league’s most valuable two-way bigs, and that kind of player does not tend to come cheap.
Given his value, he is not expected to bite on a discounted offer from the Lakers, especially after the way his run with the franchise ended. His injury history only adds another layer of caution for a team that would have to move healthy pieces to make it happen.
So while the reunion is easy to imagine, it is not a realistic path for Los Angeles unless the Lakers are willing to tear into their core. That would run against the very flexibility they are trying to preserve. More likely, the front office will wait to see how the 2026-27 season plays out and then focus on whatever roster issues still need fixing.
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