The Los Angeles Lakers will be playing with enhanced expectations in 2025-26.
After a disappointing first-round exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2025 playoffs, the Lakers are expected to re-tool their roster this summer around Luka Dončić and LeBron James.
The Lakers’ 2024-25 season, head coach JJ Redick’s first year as an NBA head coach, wasn’t entirely unsuccessful. LA ended up finishing with 50 wins and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, their best since the 2020 championship.
However, defensive lapses down the stretch and a lack of size derailed their postseason.
For 2025-26, expect GM Rob Pelinka to address the center position, potentially targeting a rim-protecting, pick-and-roll finisher like Brooklyn Nets’ Nic Claxton to complement Dončić and James. Pelinka will likely use trade assets like Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, and future pick swaps to bolster LA’s depth and size.
The Dončić-James connection, refined over a full offseason, should shine next year. Their fast-break chemistry, seen in 60-foot passes and transition dominance at times in 2024-25, will fuel a top-10 offense.
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Defensively, improved cohesion and a new center could lift the Lake Show to a top-8 defensive rating.
Record prediction: The Lakers finish 54-28, securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference behind only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (yes, this is also a prediction that OKC is about to win the 2025 NBA Finals).
What will Luka’s and LeBron’s stats look like next season?
At 26, Dončić is in his prime, and a full season with the Lakers should elevate his game. With improved fitness and synergy with James, expect 29.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 8.7 APG, and a 48 percent FG percentage.
At 40, LeBron defied Father Time in 2024-25, averaging 24.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 8.3 APG. While his minutes may dip next season, his efficiency will remain elite. Look for 23.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 8.4 APG, with 50 percent FG and 37 percent from three.
How far will the Lakers go in the playoffs?
With home-court advantage, the Lakers could face a manageable first-round opponent, although at the end of the day, the West is a bloodbath.
Dončić’s playoff prowess (30.8 PPG vs. the Wolves in 2025) and James’ all-time playoff scoring (over 50,000 combined points) will give them an edge, and this duo will be super-motivated to ensure that they avoid a second-straight first-round exit. That wouldn’t be good for either player’s legacy.
A stronger interior presence (Claxton? Daniel Gafford?) will help the Lakers overcome a team like the Timberwolves or Nuggets in a second-round matchup.
Official prediction: the Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals, falling in 6 games to Oklahoma City.
While LA might fail to win a title in 2025-26, it will be far from a disappointing season.
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