The Lakers’ offseason will be greatly influenced by D’Angelo Russell’s free agency decision, and the Orlando Magic might cause major disruptions to the plans.

While the Lakers have a lot of unresolved business this offseason, D’Angelo Russell’s decision will be one of the most significant ones that affects their free agency choices. Russell has a player option for the 2024–2025 season, therefore the Lakers won’t have any influence over his decision.

The Lakers will have an expiring contract that they may use as a trade asset if he decides to pick it up. The Lakers will have a vacancy in their roster and no cap space to replace it if he declines. Russell could still return, but it will likely cost them a lot of money for a player who has shown his flaws in back-to-back postseason runs.

The alternative isn’t much better—the Lakers might watch him leave for a different team in free agency, leaving a gap that can’t be filled with cap space. The Orlando Magic are one of the few teams with cap room, so that might play a role.