LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers during the summer of 2018. During the 2019-20 season, he led this franchise to another NBA title.
Ever since then, they have made the playoffs, but they have not been back to the NBA Finals. As the 2025-26 NBA season approaches, James enters the final year of his contract with the franchise. He is 40 years old and does not have many seasons left in the NBA. Is the year where Luka Doncic is the face of the franchise and not LeBron anymore?
NBA Analyst Believes that the Los Angeles Lakers are Transitioning from LeBron James to Luka Doncic
One of the biggest shocks during the 2024-25 NBA season was where the Lakers traded for superstar Luka from the Dallas Mavericks and traded away Anthony Davis. Doncic is only 26 years old, and he is about to enter the prime of his NBA career. He already led Dallas to an NBA Finals appearance in his career.
Shaun Powell of NBA.com wrote about where the Lakers stand as the season approaches. He said,
"The transition from LeBron James to Dončić is ongoing (if not complete) as the Lakers attempt to rebuild around Dončić rather than a 40-year-old. They added Marcus Smart for defense and sass, Jake LaRavia for a youthful injection, and Deandre Ayton for help in the paint. If James holds up once again, the Lakers should make it interesting at the very least come springtime."
As long as James can stay healthy, this team could be a potential contender in the Western Conference. He needs to be the number two option and Doncic needs to be the number one option.
One of the biggest issues with the Lakers when they traded away Davis for Doncic was that they didn't have enough size in the interior. This hurt Los Angeles in its first round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Adding Deandre Ayton to the roster is going to help this team down low.
It is very important for him to be the focal point of the offense all season long. It has to be his team moving forward and not LeBron's. During the 2024-25 season, Doncic averaged 28.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 7.7 APG, 0.4 BPG, and 1.8 SPG. He also shot 45.0% from the field.
One of the major question marks about him last season was his ability to stay in game shape. During the offseason, that was one of the big things he worked on. He can lead the Lakers to a top four seed in the Western Conference once again this upcoming season.
If Doncic can play at his MVP level throughout the 2025-26 season, the Lakers are going to be in good hands with him moving forward. This season should be the year where this franchise has to figure out what it has around him and what they need around him in the future. Los Angeles should be competing for NBA championships with him even when LeBron leaves this team down the road.
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