Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves’ Lakers Projected to Finish 6th in West Without LeBron James

The Lakers led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have a 79% probability of reaching the playoffs.

Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves’ Lakers Projected to Finish 6th in West Without LeBron James

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves (Image credits - Bleacher Report)

The Los Angeles Lakers are officially Luka Doncic‘s team. Following LeBron James‘ departure after eight years, the Lakers have entered the post-James era.

Heading into the new season, there is no doubt Doncic is one of the best players in the league and a strong favorite to win MVP next year. The Slovenian guard is yet to win an MVP award in his career.

Doncic joined the Lakers in a blockbuster trade at the trade deadline last year. Since then, he has been their best and most influential player. After leading the Lakers to a fourth-place finish in the Western Conference standings last season, Doncic will be expected to do the same in the 2026-27 campaign.

However, based on Kalshi Hoops, the Lakers are expected to finish in sixth place in a stacked Western Conference next season.

The Lakers have made major changes this offseason. While they have made a number of changes to their roster, they have undergone a change in ownership as well.

Luka Doncic has been the centerpiece of the Lakers ever since he joined them. Hence, the Lakers front office promised and built their roster around their star player this summer. One of the first demands Doncic made to the team was to re-sign Austin Reaves.

Austin Reaves was a revelation for the Lakers last season. The two formed a formidable backcourt duo when James was injured in the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign. Hence, it is not surprising that Doncic wanted to continue playing alongside Reaves heading into next season.

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Former NBA champion on the Lakers’ current roster

It has been an eventful summer for the Lakers as they have revamped their roster with a number of departures and acquisitions. However, the summer has drawn mixed reactions across the NBA. While some believe that this is a well-constructed roster, some believe that they are an overrated team.

Brooklyn Nets star Michael Porter Jr. made it clear he didn’t have high hopes for the Lakers despite all their changes.

Yeah, I don’t like that roster. To be a championship roster? I mean they might be solid, but I don’t see them winning no chip.

Michael Porter Jr. on N3on’s live stream

With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the way, the Lakers have added Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Kevon Looney, and more. MPJ is an NBA champion and knows what it takes to go all the way. So it is not surprising that the Lakers’ current roster has more questions than answers right now.

Luka Doncic has taken over from LeBron James as the Lakers’ torchbearer

When Luka Doncic was traded to the Lakers, it was clear that the Lakers were preparing themselves for the post-James era. As James took a backseat and played as a secondary option, Doncic shone in purple and gold.

'Skinny' Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic (Image via Polymarket Hoops/X)

Doncic was the scoring champion last season as he averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 64 appearances. With James handing over the torch to Doncic, the Slovenian looks more than ready for the new campaign.

Former Lakers star Montrezl Harrell weighed in on Doncic taking over the Lakers from James.

Luka has already played on the floor with LeBron, so that helps out. With LeBron leaving, they already know who the face of the team is, so he won’t have to do anything extra as far as winning over the territory.

Montrezl Harrel in an interview

History shows that whenever James leaves a team, they drop drastically in the following season. With Doncic at the helm, that seems unlikely. But it remains to be seen if the 27-year-old can take the Lakers on a deep postseason run after missing the entire playoffs this year.

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