The post-LeBron James era with Luka Doncic in the Los Angeles Lakers and new owners in search of the ring

The Lakers are starting a new era without LeBron James, with Luka Doncic as the leader and a renewed management aiming to keep the ambition for the ring alive.

A strange season

The departure of LeBron James, the rise of Luka Doncic, and the emergence of new owners: The Los Angeles Lakers are facing one of the strangest seasons in their history with the mission of reinventing the most glamorous team in the NBA on the path to the coveted ring.

The new era of the Los Angeles team will be marked by the Slovenian star, the main reference who faces the challenge of maintaining the high aspirations of a franchise that no longer has 'King James', the monarch who had sustained the project until now.

After eight seasons and a championship ring in 2020, the veteran basketball star decided to end his journey with the Los Angeles team to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year contract, after deciding to continue his career with another team at the age of 41.

James's departure paved the way for a reorganization of the roster that prioritized the contract renewal of American player Austin Reaves, one of the team's key pieces, for four seasons and 185 million dollars.

The shooting guard, who signed with the Lakers in 2021, averaged 23.3 points, 5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game last season, figures that support his fundamental role on the team alongside Doncic, who recorded 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.

Alongside James, he formed the most recognizable offensive trio of the Lakers, and their combination—a mix of experience, talent, and commercial potential—constituted one of the main attractions of the franchise.

The notable departures from the team included the pivot Deandre Ayton, traded to the Washington Wizards, and the Japanese Rui Hachimura, who also left their ranks to join the Los Angeles Clippers for two seasons and 28 million dollars after three and a half years with the gold and purple jersey.

The departure of several starters and regular rotation players necessitated an urgent reinforcement of players to maintain the team's competitive level in the NBA.

For that purpose, they brought in center Walker Kessler, coming from the Utah Jazz through a trade agreement, as well as Collin Sexton, who played last season between the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets; and Quentin Grimes, who is expected to complete the starting lineup of the team led by JJ Redick.

New owners, same line to conquer the ring

While the season kicks off in the midst of a full adaptation period to a new era, the Lakers not only debut with new faces on the court but also among the members of a renewed executive board, led by American businessman Joshua Kushner and the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger.

Mark Walter's tenure, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, at the helm of the majority ownership of the Lakers lasted barely a year, after closing a historic deal with the Buss family in 2025 that ended more than four decades of dominance over the team.

Before Kushner and Iger, the challenge is to keep the Lakers among the title contenders and preserve the sports and commercial value of one of the most recognized teams in the NBA, traditionally linked to the great basketball stars and valued at 12.5 billion dollars.

The end of last season left a bitter taste for the Angelenos, who, despite Doncic having delivered one of his best individual performances, suffered a muscle injury in the final stretch of the competition that kept him off the courts just before the start of the playoffs. EFE