Austin Reaves problem the Lakers must solve immediately

Utah Jazz v Los Angeles Lakers | Ronald Martinez/GettyImagesAt some point over the next year, the Los Angeles Lakers will commit to a future either with or without Austin Reaves. He's eligible to sign a contract extension, but can become an unrestricted free agent as soon as the summer of 2026.

As the Lakers ponder their next move, one harsh reality has revealed just how complex the Reaves situation truly is: He, Doncic, and James make for one of the worst defensive trios in the NBA.

Los Angeles acquired Doncic in a pre-deadline deal that few argued against the logic of. It partially represented a shift in the Lakers' ideology toward something in between a youth movement and a prioritization…