The Los Angeles Lakers have a massive offseason ahead. After a disappointing end to the 2024-25 season, they now have to build a roster around Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James that can contend for a championship. And it won’t be easy, as building around those three with limited financial flexibility and no first round draft picks requires hitting on nearly every move.
But if the Lakers can get all the marginal pieces right, the offensive ceiling of the Luka-LeBron-Reaves trio is unbelievable. Three extremely high-IQ players that can shoot, pass, play-make for themselves and for others could make them an unstoppable force.
And that is why Reaves believes that a championship is within the Lakers’ capabilities in the 2025-26 season, according to Charles McCary of K8 News:
“I think the sky’s the limit for us. We’re moving in the right direction. Obviously, adding Luka (Doncic), it gives you a hall of fame player such a young age that you can build around, and then obviously, still having Bron (Lebron James), the IQ, and still running around at forty years old, but I want to be in LA.”
Reaves is right that the Lakers have as high a ceiling as anyone in the NBA when the starting point is Doncic, James and himself. That’s not to say the trio is perfect — there are valid concerns defensively and with the lack of flexibility financially — but most any team would be happy to have those three players to start their roster.
But it gives general manager Rob Pelinka and company a delicate task that requires exact precision to turn what the team has now into a contending roster.
Gabe Vincent wished he made bigger impact for Lakers
During an impressive NBA Finals run in 2023 with the Miami Heat, guard Gabe Vincent turned heads with his postseason play. That ultimately got the attention of the Lakers, who signed him to a three-year, $33 million contract the following offseason.
Unfortunately, Vincent’s first season in L.A. did not go as planned as he only suited up in 11 games. He struggled with a left knee effusion injury and the 28-year-old never looked 100% healthy even when he played.
This season, however, Vincent was healthy and played 72 games while showing flashes of his play in Miami. Following a disappointing end to the season, he expressed that he was glad to play a majority of the season, but wished that he could have provided more in the playoffs when the Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.
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