This past season, the Lakers made one of the most shocking moves in recent NBA history. After acquiring Luka Dončić in a blockbuster trade, Los Angeles suddenly found itself with two generational talents and championship expectations higher than they’ve been in years. But can this new-look roster deliver?
Can Luka Dončić Carry the Lakers To Finish as a Top-Six Seed?
All eyes are on Dončić, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. After stunning the basketball community by trading for a generational talent such as Dončić, the Lakers are expected to be in the hunt for an NBA championship.
While they lost in the first round of the playoffs to Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers have made several roster upgrades to ensure they are better positioned to contend for a title.
Wesley Johnson, a former NBA star who spent two years with the Lakers, knows greatly about the pressure and expectations of wearing the purple and gold. During a recent interview, Johnson weighed in on the Lakers’ current situation and the mentality they need to have heading into next season.
Although the Lakers finished the 2024-25 season as a top-three seed, a great deal of change has occurred this offseason. Several teams have improved their roster, and others have healed from injuries that held them back in 2024-25. Given that James will be a year older, it would be hard to claim that the Lakers have a clear path to the playoffs.
Therefore, Johnson was unwilling to respond confidently when asked if the Lakers could finish the upcoming season as a legitimate postseason team that was able to avoid the play-in tournament.
“It’s going to be tough. If you looking at all the teams in the West, like you saying its loaded. But I think if they (Lakers) come into it healthy and they have a good rhythm early on and Luka is really like Luka, I think they could make noise and creep into that top six but its going to be tough…”
What Will It Take for This New-Look Roster to Succeed?
Johnson kept things real with his brief take on his former team. Given that the West is incredibly competitive, with only a very slim record difference separating several teams, the Lakers will need to be healthy and establish a good rhythm from the very start of the 2025-26 NBA season. That approach would ensure they don’t fall back midway through the season if they play badly over a stretch of games.
The pressure will now be on Dončić to keep the Lakers going. He is the superstar the team traded for. He also recently signed a massive three-year contract extension, which might motivate him to perform at the highest level this upcoming season.
Between their additions, such as Marcus Smart or Deandre Ayton, and Dončić’s physical transformation and contract extension, the Lakers are expected to look like a very different team this upcoming season. If they can enter the postseason while maintaining their health and rhythm, this team has the ability to make noise in the West and win it all.
