The Los Angeles Lakers have made some notable additions this offseason as they continue their search for an 18th NBA title. The Lakers have signed Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart in free agency, but only one of the three features in their expected starting lineup for 2025-26, according to Lakers Daily.
Starters: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton
This would mean just one change to the starting lineup from last season, with Ayton coming in for Jaxson Hayes. Finding an upgrade on Hayes was a top priority, and the Lakers do deserve credit for addressing that need.
Ayton averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2024-25. The 27-year-old has his flaws, but is a solid starting-caliber center, and the Lakers desperately needed one.
As for the starting backcourt, there is a lot to like on offense. Luka Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Lakers in 2024-25. Austin Reaves, meanwhile, put up 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.
Reaves and Doncic would be one of the highest-scoring backcourts in the NBA, but defense is a big concern. They were torched during the Lakers’ first-round playoff defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves last season.
That raised doubts about whether this can be a starting backcourt for a serious title contender. Only time will tell if this is a recipe for success.
The two starting forward spots are expected to go to LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, as was the case last season. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2024-25. His future with the Lakers is in doubt, but he should be playing at an All-NBA level once again.
Lastly, Hachimura averaged 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game last season. It was yet another solid campaign, but you do think he’s the most likely to lose that starting spot among this group over the course of the season. Who would take that spot? Well, let’s have a look at the expected bench unit.
Bench unit: Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes
While that starting lineup doesn’t have a lot of good defenders, this bench unit does. You’d imagine that Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, is the likeliest of this bunch to be given a starting role.
The Lakers could opt to go small by inserting Smart for Hachimura, or they could bench Reaves for him. Reaves has done well as the sixth man in the past, but might not be too keen on that role as he is expected to hit free agency in 2026 by opting out of his player option.
Another one to keep an eye on here would be LaRavia. He isn’t a big name, but shot well last season (42.3% from three) and is a solid defender. LaRavia was also the first player the Lakers reportedly signed this offseason, so you would assume he is held in high regard within the organization.
It will be interesting to see if the Lakers fare better this upcoming season than in the last one. An NBA executive thinks they have gotten better and is backing them to get to the Western Conference Finals. That won’t be easy, though, with how strong the conference is.
