The Lakers are still riding the high of a once-in-a-lifetime trade that established Luka Doncic as the next face of their franchise. After a first-round exit, Doncic wasted no time getting back in the gym and subsequently playing for his home country of Slovenia in Eurobasket. He looked unstoppable in the tournament, and the media has done him wonders with their framing of his offseason regimen. Unfortunately, behind the (Luka) magic of it all, the Lakers did not get much better after their disappointing
end to last season.
Hitting on multiple gambles will be the name of the game for Los Angeles in 2026. Can they salvage Deandre Ayton? What will LeBron James look like in year 23? If Doncic struggles to begin the year, is there any truth behind the smear job that Nico Harrison rolled out with Doncic’s departure? These are all things that are going to overshadow the basketball for the Lakers. If they want any hope of being a serious contender and not just a click generator during Doncic’s prime and James’ twilight years, all of these plot points are going to have to converge on the same path.
Los Angeles Lakers: Over/Under 49.5 Wins (-102/-120)
Last Season: 50-32
Additions: Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia
Losses: Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Reddish
I hate the Lakers’ roster. Outside of Doncic and James, it is a weak amalgamation of non-cohesive puzzle pieces. Ayton has not worked since 2021, they are thin behind him at center, and the wings they have are largely unproven. LaRavia could be a surprisingly good piece, but I just don’t see this roster as anything better than what Doncic had in his first few years in Dallas. Despite that, it is hard to ignore the incentive for Doncic to tear the league apart next season. He is a world-wrecker with unparalleled motivation and, because of that, the floor for this team is very low. They won 50 games last season and they’re going to do it again. If they hit on the aforementioned question marks, this team could go over 49.5 wins by a large number.
