The Los Angeles Lakers will be without the services of LeBron James at the start of the 2025-26 NBA season as he is currently suffering from sciatica. James will be out for three to four weeks, and Lakers insider Dan Woike said on The Zach Lowe Show that he thinks Jarred Vanderbilt or Jake LaRavia will replace him in the starting lineup.
“I think it’s either [Vanderbilt] or LaRavia,” Woike said. “… I think LaRavia’s multi-dimensional. Sort of like I can make things better in a bunch of different ways. Probably plays better off the bench in this setting. But it’s a real decision. I think just Vanderbilt gives you a little more point of attack.”
You’re never going to have a like-for-like replacement for a player like James, who averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 11.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2024-25. This decision on his replacement between Vanderbilt and LaRavia would come down to whether you want more offense or defense in that starting lineup.
Vanderbilt could well be the best defender on this Lakers roster, but he can’t really shoot and doesn’t provide much in terms of offense in general. As for LaRavia, he isn’t anywhere near as good a defender as Vanderbilt, but he can shoot.
The Lakers’ starting backcourt looks set to be Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and neither is a good defender. You need to surround them with quality ones, and Vanderbilt would be just that. At the same time, you want shooters around Doncic, which makes LaRavia look like the better option.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick sure has an interesting decision on his hands.
Vanderbilt has looked good in the preseason so far. For once, the 26-year-old was healthy in the offseason, which has resulted in him being in great shape from the get-go. Vanderbilt has averaged 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, but has shot just 10% from beyond the arc. Having two non-shooters in the lineup in him and Deandre Ayton might not be ideal.
LaRavia hasn’t been shooting well either so far in the preseason, though. The 23-year-old has put up 9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 25% from three. LaRavia was at 42.3% in 2024-25, so the hope would be that he will eventually start making those at a better rate.
The Lakers would also be hopeful that Doncic and Reaves are able to effectively take on a bigger load offensively. They’re the only two who can create for themselves and for others on this team with James on the sidelines. We have seen Doncic go on some ridiculous stretches offensively in the past, and you wouldn’t put it past him to do it again at the start of this season.
LeBron James Could Consider His Options If The Lakers Struggle Without Him
This stretch at the start of the season could also end up impacting James’ future. It has been reported that the 21-time All-Star could re-evaluate his future with the Lakers, depending on how they fare in his absence.
“LeBron’s gonna be watching this team while he’s out, and if, while he is out, they’re struggling, that could lead to the next step that we could see at some point this season. Remember what Shams was told by Rich Paul?”
“Rich and LeBron, they’ll be watching every move, because the priority at this stage is to win. If they’re not winning, maybe he’s gonna have to go elsewhere to find that winning combination.”
James will be a free agent in 2026, and he wants to win his fifth championship. If the 40-year-old doesn’t think that’s possible with the Lakers, he might start considering his options. They do have some easier games against the likes of the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings earlier on, so you’d think they will be fine without James.
