Led by Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a third-place finish in a stacked Western Conference during the 2024-25 campaign.
Following their second consecutive first-round playoff exit, the Lakers improved their starting lineup this offseason, signing Deandre Ayton after his buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers. They also added Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia in free agency.
However, they lost Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets, and the team's depth isn't exactly impressive. Beyond Smart and LaRavia, the team will likely have to count on Dalton Knecht to take a significant step in his second season.
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Lakers forecasted to finish sixth in Western Conference
With the Lakers’ depth concerns, The Athletics's John Hollinger speculates the team will finish sixth in the Western Conference with a 47-35 record, barely avoiding the Play-In Tournament.
“All that means this team might have a puncher's chance at winning a couple of rounds in the playoffs when they can lean on their best players for 40-plus minutes a night,” he wrote. “In the 82-game regular-season slog, however, it may take some work to avoid a third visit to the Play-In in four years.”
The West remains loaded with talent entering the 2025-26 campaign, and injury concerns could also affect the Lakers’ standing. Ayton and Smart have both been injury prone in recent seasons, while James is entering his 23rd season and may end up missing time over the course of the year.
All in all, Los Angeles’ direction remains uncertain. With James entering the final year of his contract, the franchise appears to be teetering between attempting to contend and building for the future with Doncic.
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