Life After LeBron: Luka Dončić Takes Full Control of the New-Look Lakers
For the first time since the 2017-18 season, the Los Angeles Lakers are entering an NBA campaign without LeBron James.
But this isn't a Lakers team searching for its next superstar.
They already have one.
Luka Dončić now enters the 2026-27 season as the unquestioned centerpiece of one of basketball's most famous franchises, while Austin Reaves remains alongside him in a dramatically reconstructed roster. NBA.com
The question in Los Angeles has therefore changed.
It is no longer about how Luka and LeBron can coexist.
It is about how far Luka can take a team built primarily around him.
SE360 QUICK EDGE
Franchise Leader: Luka Dončić
Key Running Mate: Austin Reaves
Major Frontcourt Addition: Walker Kessler
New Supporting Pieces: Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Jaden Hardy, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams. NBA.com
Biggest Departure: LeBron James
Biggest Question: Can greater depth and roster fit compensate for losing one of basketball's greatest players?
SE360 View: The Lakers have handed Luka the keys. Now comes the challenge of turning a roster designed around his strengths into a genuine Western Conference contender.
Luka's Team Now
There should be little ambiguity about the hierarchy in Los Angeles.
Dončić is the centerpiece.
In his first full Lakers season, Luka helped Los Angeles win 53 games while capturing his second scoring title and earning First Team All-NBA honors. NBA.com
Now the responsibility grows.
Following James' departure, Dončić publicly embraced the leadership challenge during Lakers Media Day, describing the situation as a new challenge and saying he felt honored to take it on. NBA.com
That leadership has already extended beyond games.
During the offseason, Dončić brought Lakers teammates to Slovenia for a five-day minicamp designed partly to accelerate chemistry within a heavily reconstructed roster. NBA.com
That may prove valuable because Los Angeles has a lot of introductions to make.
Austin Reaves Becomes Even More Important
The Lakers didn't simply decide Luka would handle everything.
They retained Austin Reaves on a new four-year deal, keeping together a backcourt pairing that already produced encouraging results without James on the floor last season. NBA
Reaves' importance now increases.
Luka will naturally command enormous defensive attention. That creates opportunities for Reaves as a secondary creator, shooter and attacker.
The Lakers need that partnership to become the foundation of their offense.
When Luka draws two defenders, Reaves needs to punish the opening.
When Luka rests, Reaves needs to help keep the offense moving.
And when games tighten late, Los Angeles now has two experienced ball handlers capable of creating something from a broken possession.
Walker Kessler Could Be the Perfect Luka Partner
One of Los Angeles' most intriguing moves was acquiring Walker Kessler.
The logic is straightforward.
Give Dončić a legitimate lob threat, rebounder and rim protector who doesn't need the basketball to influence games.
Head coach JJ Redick has already described Kessler as a strong fit alongside Luka and Reaves. NBA.com
That combination could become particularly dangerous in pick-and-roll situations.
Defenses already have enough problems deciding whether to switch, trap or drop against Dončić. Add a mobile center capable of finishing around the basket and those decisions become even more uncomfortable.
At the other end, Kessler gives Los Angeles something equally valuable: protection behind its perimeter defenders.
The Lakers Chose Depth
LeBron wasn't the only departure.
Los Angeles also moved on from several familiar names including Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart. NBA.com
In their place came a much broader collection of complementary players.
Quentin Grimes offers two-way guard play.
Collin Sexton brings aggressive scoring.
Sandro Mamukelashvili provides frontcourt shooting.
Matisse Thybulle gives the Lakers another defensive option on the perimeter.
Kevon Looney supplies experience and frontcourt depth.
And Jaden Hardy gives Redick another potential source of backcourt offense.
NBA.com's season preview notes just how significant the turnover has been, with Los Angeles needing to develop chemistry quickly among a group assembled from numerous different teams. NBA
That could be the defining challenge of preseason.
Life After LeBron
Replacing LeBron James individually is unrealistic.
The Lakers don't need to try.
Instead, Los Angeles appears to be attempting something different: redistribute responsibility across a deeper supporting cast while allowing Luka to control the offense.
That puts enormous responsibility on Dončić.
But it also creates clarity.
There is no longer a debate over whose team this is.
There is no longer a question about which superstar should initiate the biggest possession.
This is Luka Dončić's Lakers.
And at 27 years old, he enters this chapter in the heart of his prime.
What SE360 Will Watch During Preseason
Forget preseason wins and losses for a moment.
Watch the combinations.
How naturally does Kessler operate with Luka?
Can Reaves remain aggressive while Luka controls possession?
Which of Sexton, Grimes and Hardy earns Redick's trust?
Can the Lakers defend well enough around an offense likely to be built heavily around Dončić?
And perhaps most importantly, can a roster with so many newcomers establish chemistry quickly enough to compete in a deep Western Conference?
Those questions will tell us considerably more than a preseason scoreboard.
Los Angeles' next preseason test comes against Golden State at Chase Center on October 6 in the United States. NBA.com
SE360 VIEW
Superstar Power: Elite
Backcourt Creation: Elite
Depth: Promising
Roster Continuity: Question Mark
Defensive Ceiling: To Be Determined
The Lakers haven't replaced LeBron James with another superstar.
They've done something potentially more interesting.
They've handed Luka Dončić a deeper collection of pieces and effectively told him:
This is your team.
The LeBron era in Los Angeles is over.
The Luka era has officially begun.
SportsEdge360 — Analysis • Tips • Odds • Insights