Discussing LeBron James‘ future in the first of the new ‘Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul’ podcast for The Ringer (YouTube link), James’ longtime agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, said there’s no chance his client won’t finish the 2025/26 season with the Lakers (hat tip to RealGM).
One of the biggest reasons the Los Angeles Lakers have exceeded expectations so far this season has been the leap of Austin Reaves into a legit All-Star caliber player.
Christmas and the NBA go hand-in-hand. The day serves for the top hoops league in the world, like Thanksgiving for the NFL. However, while the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys are perpetual Thanksgiving participants, the NBA has mixed up the matchups and the teams throughout the years.
On the road to defining their own dynastic legacy, the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers leaned on some of the savvy vets hailing from Phil Jackson's last dynasty, the 1990s-era Chicago Bulls.
It’s a no-brainer that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a well-versed leader who knows what comes with being the main guy on any team. All the way from his high school days to the NBA, the Akron Hammer has been assuming this role.
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night behind an incredible late-game performance from LeBron James. He had 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists on the night, but had 10 consecutive points for the Lakers in the final five minutes of the game.
By any metric, second-year head coach JJ Redick has done a fantastic job so far this year with the Lakers. The team is 17-6, tied for second in the West, and they’ve gotten there despite only having LeBron James for seven of those games.
Most of the time, things in the NBA go as people expect. Here and there, though, some players, for one reason or another, just don't meet expectations, whether it's due to injury or other situational pitfalls.
Out of the free agent signings the Los Angeles Lakers made this past summer, Deandre Ayton has stood out as the best addition thanks to his strong two-way play through the first part of the 2025-26 season.
At 16-6 (as of Dec. 6), the Los Angeles Lakers sit tied for third place in the vaunted Western Conference. The Lakers were widely expected to be a team struggling to even break into the top-six of the conference, as many projected Los Angeles to be a play-in team at best.
This year, Austin Reaves is one of the most underpaid players in the league. He is playing like a top-20 player, and he is getting paid like a top-10 role player.
Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Doncic has been having a pretty good year, both on and off the court. Now in his first full season with the Lakers after a shocking midseason trade this February, Doncic leads the NBA with 35.3 points per game and has been the best player on a Lakers team that is second in the Western Conference.
With the Los Angeles Lakers closing out the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night, 112-108, it came with a solid defensive effort, with even head coach JJ Redick shouting out center Deandre Ayton for his performance.
Austin Reaves must decide on his future with the Los Angeles Lakers after the season concludes. He is putting up nearly 30 points and seven assists per game and has stepped into a larger role for the Lakers this year, which could complicate his contract talks in the summer.