“If the Lakers are smart, they would do a sign-and-trade. And the reason I say that is because when you have a team with two players, who are pretty much the same, meaning Luka and A.R (Austin Reaves)., I’m not saying they have the same skill set — they play the same position, pretty much do the same thing — it’s a wash. Don’t get me wrong, I love A.R., but you don’t need two of the same players,” Robert Horry said, via Big Shot Bob Podcast.

While Horry’s view finds support among fans, Austin Reaves’ recent season performance indicates he could still be pivotal for the Lakers given his versatility across multiple positions. However, with Deandre Ayton’s arrival and LeBron’s sustained presence, he will likely serve as a rotation player rather than a star, which might eventually prompt him to seek opportunities elsewhere.

In the 2024-25 season, Austin Reaves delivered the standout performance of his career. He played 73 games, averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. At 26, he skillfully adapted alongside Luka Doncic, showcasing his versatility as an invaluable team asset by contributing significantly on defense as well. Consequently, losing Reaves could seriously impact the team’s depth bench and adaptability in key games.

Lakers star Austin Reaves draws strong interest from Western Conference rival ahead of free agency

Recognizing Austin Reaves‘ impressive performance, the Los Angeles Lakers prioritized securing his long-term presence. According to The Athletic, the franchise extended a four-year, $89.2 million contract renewal offer. However, the 26-year-old guard declined, reportedly aiming for a $35 million annual salary—significantly above the Lakers’ proposal.

After declining a renewal offer and pondering the rejection of his player option, Austin Reaves has attracted interest from the San Antonio Spurs as unrestricted free agent in 2026. Despite the interest, his departure remains uncertain. The 26-year-old star has frequently expressed a strong desire to finish his NBA career with the Lakers, leaving the door open for a potential renewal, even though the financial terms appear distant.

“No, Luka (Doncic) would never make that (top 5 player of all time). I love Luka’s game because I’m old school. You got to be able to play defense for me. I love Luka’s game, but when you look at guys like MJ, Kobe, Olajuwon, Duncan, LeBron, Kareem. All these guys to me played on both ends of the court. That’s basketball,” Robert Horry said, via ESPN LA.

Luka Doncic’s exceptional talent is undeniable. His scoring prowess and playmaking skills rank him among the NBA’s elite. However, critics often spotlight his inconsistency in commitment and defensive intensity as legendary players have historically excelled on both sides. For that reason, Horry’s opinion is also shared among some fans who consider that the Lakers star still needs to grow if he wants to have a long-lasting NBA legacy.

Luka Doncic enters a career-transformative season with Lakers

Luka Doncic, known for his offensive brilliance, embarks on his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers, looking to silence critics and secure a championship. This season could redefine his game, supported by a significant physical transformation and the strategic guidance of JJ Redick. With the 2025-26 season set to unfold, he aims to lead the Lakers as he once did the Mavericks, carrying hopes of bringing the franchise its next title.

Beyond leading the push for a championship, Doncic seeks to display maturity and enhance his game. This involves contributing significantly to the team’s collective efforts. Surrounded by talents like Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, and LeBron James, he has a supportive cast that could catapult his performance with defensive contributions.

Rather than ignoring critiques about his defense, Luka addressed these in his contract renewal, expressing optimism about Marcus’ arrival to boost his defensive play. While he has not yet teamed up with the defensive standout, his performance at EuroBasket 2025 has amazed fans. Enthusiasm is building, with some speculating that if he sustains this caliber of defense, he might claim the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award.

“I don’t think Luka is a defensive player,” said Payton during a conversation at the BUDX NBA House recently. “I think he’s a scorer. He’s an athlete. He’s got great ability… Now, if he wants to go and change it and prove people wrong that he can’t play defense, if that was me, I would change it.”

Still, the 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year emphasized that such a transformation isn’t simple. “You have to be dedicated to play defense. You have to be dedicated. Maybe that’s not for him,” Gary speculated. “There’s a mindset to play defense. Not just say you want to play defense. You can’t do that unless you have a mindset to do that.”

Later, the NBA champion with the Miami Heat in 2006 questioned whether Doncic is even willing to put in the effort to improve. “You have to be able to move. You have to be willing to take sacrifices to do things. And that’s just the way it goes,” explained Payton. “He’s not one of that. But now, if he wants to, yes, he can get his mind to it to do it. But does he want to do it? That’s left up to him. That’s not left up to us.”

Just hours later, during an interview on The Dan Patrick Show, Robert Horry addressed the same topic. “I tell people all the time, if you can move your feet and get past and blow by people, that means you have some fast-twitch muscles. You can move pretty fast. So there’s no reason you cannot play better defense on the other. You just got to want to. And I think a lot of times he doesn’t want to. He’d rather just point,” said the former forward about Luka.

“It’s so weird that people talk about his weight, but yet he’s still giving people 30 points. I tell people, I don’t care about his weight. You need to get him in a gym and teach him how to play defense,” Horry pointed out. “That’s the thing, because you can give someone 40 points, but if you’re giving up 35 on the other end, those 40 points don’t mean anything.”

The seven-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets, the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs then echoed Gary Payton’s comments—not questioning Doncic’s abilities, but his willingness to improve. “I think that is the key. And I think also he needs to want to play defense, because so many times he saves his energy for the offensive end,” said Robert. “It’s about wanting to.”

“First of all, what does JJ know about championship shape?…Has he ever won a championship? … I just wanna know what is championship shape? That’s all I’m asking. Do you know what championship shape is? Because, for me, when you talk about championship shape, that means you’ve been there, done that,” stated former Lakers player Robert Horry on Nightcap.

Furthermore, Robert Horry suggested that Redick ‘shape’ comments may have been aimed at Luka Doncic. While his words came off as sharp, JJ Redick’s résumé provides context for the criticism. In his 15-year NBA career, Redick never captured a championship title. Still, judging someone’s coaching potential solely on their playing accomplishments is a flawed approach. Especially considering he has already shown promise in building a competitive roster.

Although many people agreed with Horry’s general sentiment, his remarks did not sit well with most NBA fans. That is because judging someone only by their résumé would have denied Gregg Popovich the chance to win five titles with the San Antonio Spurs. That said, it is fair to acknowledge Redick still has areas to improve. But to his credit, he has already opened to self-criticism after the defeat.

Robert Horry claims JJ Redick’s two coaching mistakes cost the Lakers their 2025 playoff run against Timberwolves

JJ Redick made several controversial decisions during the postseason. The Lakers were competitive against the Timberwolves, but his strategy fell short. He did not rotate his players enough. He also failed to adjust his ideas throughout the series.

As a result, the roster looked exhausted in the final games. The team even lost the last three games in a row. Because of that, Robert Horry did not hold back his opinion. He believed Redick should have used two specific players. That, in his view, could have changed everything.

“(Anthony Edwards) cooking you and your best defender is on the bench, (Jarred Vanderbilt). Give him a chance! At least you got six fouls. What are you doing?,” affirmed Robert Horry on Nightcap. Then, he also added: “The biggest mistake the Lakers made all season was not trying to implement Dalton Knecht into the system…That’s a flamethrower over there. You gotta give him a chance.”

The Lakers struggled defensively throughout the series. They made key mistakes in one-on-one situations. Despite that, Redick stuck with his usual plan. He barely used Vanderbilt or Knecht. Because of that, fans and analysts grew frustrated. His lack of flexibility exposed a major flaw as he could not adapt under pressure when it mattered most.

Coach Mike Brown had been one of Gregg Popovich’s assistants before taking over the Cavs, so he ran very similar players and the Spurs had a counter for everything they sent.

Moreover, James wasn’t the superstar he later became, so he was somewhat easy to contain. That’s why Robert Horry recently said that it was the easiest of all the rings he ever won.

Robert Horry Says Sweeping LeBron James Was The Easiest RingHe Won

“LeBron wasn’t a jump-shooter or a knockdown three,” Horry said on All The Smoke. “He was more of a drive guy, get by you, big body, jump over you. And our whole gameplan was like we gonna double team, every time he come off the pick and roll, we gonna double team him. And then it’s almost like the water boy, because you had Mike Brown over there on the other side.”

“Every play they ran with our plays in San Antonio. I’m like, ‘Dude, what are you doing? You can’t run floppy down, that’s our play. Floppy side, that’s our play. He ran almost every play that San Antonio ran and we looked like, ‘Damn, this is going to be the easiest,'” Horry continued. “And that’s why we swept them man–And it was just one of the easiest championships to win man, cuz they weren’t ready. LeBron was still young, double-teamed LeBron, who else is going to score on that team?”

That was LeBron’s first experience on the biggest stage, and while it definitely wasn’t encouraging, one could argue that he had plenty of success in his career after that.

It’s pretty safe to state that Shaq was surrounded by greatness throughout the course of his entire career. From Hardaway in the Orlando Magic to Kobe in the Los Angeles Lakers, Wade in the Miami Heat, and LeBron in the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That’s why, even though he may have quite a difficult time choosing just the four best of his greatest teammates but even so, most people would agree that those 4 we mentioned should make the cut. Then again, Shaq isn’t most people.

Shaq Chooses Robert Horry Over LeBron James

Shaq attended the DangerTalk Podcast with Russell Wilson and revealed his Mt. Rushmore of former teammates, going with Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and – surprisingly – Robert Horry.

Hardaway and Shaq led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995 and were one of the flashiest duos in the league during their time together. As for Kobe, they won three straight championships and put together one of the most dominant dynasties in modern basketball history.

An aging Shaq joined Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat and played a big role in that 2006 NBA championship, the first in franchise history, although it was the first time that he wasn’t named Finals MVP.

Robert Horry played a huge role in the Lakers’ three-peat. His suffocating and pesky defense were among the best in the league and the guy had a feel for knocking down huge shots in the clutch. He also won 7 NBA championships through his career,so we get why he must hold him invery high regard.

Then again, considering Shaq said he wanted to ‘Win a ring for the King’ in Cleveland and comparing LeBron’s path to Horry, it’s kind of head-scratching to see him snubbed of his Mt. Rushmore.