It is just about certain that the Los Angeles Lakers will not win the NBA championship this coming season. But they have quickly remodeled their roster in solid fashion after LeBron James made it known on June 30 that he was leaving them in free agency.
James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes left as free agents, and Deandre Ayton was traded. The Lakers went ahead and executed a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler, which made Ayton expendable, and they obtained Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney and Ziaire Williams in free agency. It could be argued that L.A. is one athletic starting two-way wing or forward from perhaps becoming a legitimate title contender not too long from now, and the team isn’t necessarily done making moves this offseason.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Luka Doncic was “excited” about the Lakers’ moves. He confirmed that in an interview with the Golf Channel while on hand for The Open Championship.
“Yeah, I think we have a really good team. I’m very excited to start a new season. Obviously, the last season didn’t end how we wanted, so I’m very excited for a new one,” Doncic said.
Last season, the Lakers finished 53-29, and when they won 16 of 18 games during a stretch in late February and March, there were people asking in hushed tones if the team had become a championship contender. Alas, Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered a hamstring strain and an oblique strain, respectively, on April 2. Reaves came back for Game 5 of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Houston Rockets, but Doncic never returned, and the Lakers were swept in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With James gone, the Doncic era has begun in earnest for Los Angeles. Fans are hoping it will be more successful than the eight-season James era, which yielded one championship in 2020.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Doncic says he’s ‘very excited’ to start the 2026-27 NBA season
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
