After trading for and extending superstar Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers have made it clear that it is his team moving forward. However, LeBron James remains on the roster, and for the time being, amid the mass speculation, he is still a key part in the franchise’s success.
But most recently, it was announced that James is suffering from sciatica and will miss the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, after already failing to play in any preseason action. Shams Charania reported James has been dealing with the injury since earlier in the summer, and the news of him being sidelined only builds on the questions about his future.
When asked about how he feels starting the season without James, Doncic said the 21-time All-Star will be missed on the team while he continues his recovery.
“It’s a big change. He’s a great player. He can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be next man up,” Dončić said Saturday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Neither James nor Doncic has suited up for any of the Lakers‘ preseason games. James, for the injury, while Doncic has been resting after a busy summer leading Slovenia in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament.
Doncic, Redick On The LeBron Injury
With James now set to miss the first season-opener of his career, as well as potentially longer, the pressure falls on Doncic to lead the Lakers in the beginning stretch of the season. However, when asked if his superstar teammates’ absence would result in a greater workload for himself, Doncic didn’t feel that would be the case.
“I don’t view it that way,” Doncic said when asked about a potential increase in on-court responsibilities with James out. “I just want to play basketball. If I do less, if I do more, whatever it takes for me to get a win.”
As he’s rarely been injured throughout his 23-year NBA career, this latest health concern could cast a massive shadow over the Lakers, especially with an uncertain timeline for return. Dan Woike and other NBA insiders have reported James will be out for three to four weeks, but even Lakers head coach JJ Redick doesn’t know the full scope of the injury and his subsequent return.
“You hope that he’s back soon,” Redick said. “Those things can be tricky. … It is unclear what the starting lineup is going to be, that’s the reality, until he is back. We’ll have to figure that out.”
To pick up the pieces, Los Angeles has Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, and others, but missing James will be big for this team to start the season. The Lakers made key moves over the summer, but time will tell if each fits well with Doncic in place of James.
“We got a group of guys that have been practicing and hopefully LeBron can join us as soon as possible,” Doncic added. “We are going to obviously need him. But our mentality has got to be ‘next man up.’ That’s it.”
Lakers Full Of Uncertainty
James’ injury and timeline for return are just one of many questions surrounding this current Lakers team. The four-time Finals MVP’s future has been a bigger headline over the past few months, as James’ agent, Rich Paul, made it clear to Shams Charania that he is interested in still competing for championships, in Los Angeles or not.
While that has caused many to believe a trade or offseason move could be in the future, others have raised the possibility of James announcing his retirement. All of this has clouded the Lakers’ push for a title this season, as well as plans for the future. However, according to McMenamin, both Doncic and Reaves aren’t concerned about the rumors and speculation about their teammate.
“Doncic and Reaves, for their part, love playing with James and want the partnership to continue, sources told ESPN,” he wrote. “Both players have not inquired with James about when he plans to retire, sources said, wanting to show respect for James’ process.”
While that is a good sign for the team, Reaves himself is in a similar situation, facing potential free agency next summer. The Lakers are likely using this season as a test run to see how he and others fit alongside Doncic, and making decisions after this season.
In that same sense, Los Angeles is also reportedly eyeing a trade sometime in the near future, according to Lakers insider Jovan Buha. Stemming from the Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors, the team could make a move to vault itself with even higher championship hopes.
Though James is out, Doncic, Reaves, and the rest of the team don’t sound too worried on the surface. However, if the injury lingers and impacts the team’s record, it could have major implications for what general manager Rob Pelinka does with their current roster.
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