Originally published by LakersNation.com
The Los Angeles Lakers are embarking on a new era this season as LeBron James is no longer with the organization. There’s some continuity with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but the roster otherwise features a bevy of newcomers who are expected to contribute.
Replacing James is a nearly-impossible task, and leading the Lakers is a responsibility that will primarily fall on Doncic and Reaves.
“It feels great,” answered Doncic at Lakers media day when asked about assuming a leadership role without James’ presence. “Obviously it’s a new challenge. I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me. But I feel great. I feel excited and like I said, I’m ready to go.”
As Doncic noted, being the leader and face of a franchise is certainly nothing new. That type of pressure dates back to his teenage years while playing for Real Madrid in Spain, facing competition much older than him.
After forming with Dirk Nowitzki during his early days with the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic then was partnered with Kyrie Irving to lead the team on a surprising run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Of course, months later Doncic was traded to the Lakers in the blockbuster deal for Anthony Davis.
Now the Lakers are hoping Doncic being part of a dynamic backcourt with Reaves will prove to be a successful recipe once more. Reaves is the longest-tenured player on the Lakers roster due to James’ departure, and he’s fresh off signing a four-year, $184.7 million contract.
Lakers building around Luka Doncic
General manager Rob Pelinka recently shared the vision the front office had once they received word from James he would not re-sign, and it naturally centered around building a team to support Doncic and Reaves.
“There were three fundamental pillars of what we wanted to accomplish in the offseason. We wanted to retain Austin Reaves; that was a really big thing for us,” Pelinka began. “We wanted to find a way to acquire a franchise center, and then we wanted to develop a roster of JJ Redick dribble-pass-shoot players that were younger and add depth to our roster.
“That was sort of our three-prong thesis basketball-wise for the offseason, and we felt like we accomplished all those things.
“Re-signing Austin, putting together a trade to acquire Walker Kessler, and then building out our team with young players that could dribble-pass-shoot, and have brought the average age of our roster to around 26 or 27, which lines up so perfectly with building a team around Luka Doncic.”
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The Los Angeles Lakers are embarking on a new era this season as LeBron James is no longer with the organization. There’s some continuity with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, but the roster otherwise features a bevy of newcomers who are expected to contribute.
Replacing James is a nearly-impossible task, and leading the Lakers is a responsibility that will primarily fall on Doncic and Reaves.
“It feels great,” answered Doncic at Lakers media day when asked about assuming a leadership role without James’ presence. “Obviously it’s a new challenge. I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me. But I feel great. I feel excited and like I said, I’m ready to go.”
As Doncic noted, being the leader and face of a franchise is certainly nothing new. That type of pressure dates back to his teenage years while playing for Real Madrid in Spain, facing competition much older than him.
After forming with Dirk Nowitzki during his early days with the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic then was partnered with Kyrie Irving to lead the team on a surprising run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Of course, months later Doncic was traded to the Lakers in the blockbuster deal for Anthony Davis.
Now the Lakers are hoping Doncic being part of a dynamic backcourt with Reaves will prove to be a successful recipe once more. Reaves is the longest-tenured player on the Lakers roster due to James’ departure, and he’s fresh off signing a four-year, $184.7 million contract.
Lakers building around Luka Doncic
General manager Rob Pelinka recently shared the vision the front office had once they received word from James he would not re-sign, and it naturally centered around building a team to support Doncic and Reaves.
“There were three fundamental pillars of what we wanted to accomplish in the offseason. We wanted to retain Austin Reaves; that was a really big thing for us,” Pelinka began. “We wanted to find a way to acquire a franchise center, and then we wanted to develop a roster of JJ Redick dribble-pass-shoot players that were younger and add depth to our roster.
“That was sort of our three-prong thesis basketball-wise for the offseason, and we felt like we accomplished all those things.
“Re-signing Austin, putting together a trade to acquire Walker Kessler, and then building out our team with young players that could dribble-pass-shoot, and have brought the average age of our roster to around 26 or 27, which lines up so perfectly with building a team around Luka Doncic.”
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
