The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in a somewhat unusual transition phase. They are well aware that the clock is ticking on LeBron James’ illustrious career. James dealing with a sciatica issue serves as a stark reminder of his advancing age. At this stage, with the NBA’s all-time leading scorer occupying a significant portion of the team’s salary cap, it likely won’t be until next year or the year after that the Lakers can assemble a roster specifically built around Luka Doncic.
Despite this, the Lakers still boast a very solid team. After all, they won 50 games last season and have managed to maintain a comparable level of talent throughout the roster. While these pieces individually might not be game-changing, they do fill some important gaps the team needs to address.
Yet, LeBron James will be turning 41 by the end of this calendar year. Given the many injuries he has battled over the years, it would be no surprise to see some decline in his performance. Even a player of James’ caliber can slow down — as shocking as that may sound. With James on the downside of the aging curve and Father Time inevitable, the Lakers could see a shift in their team dynamics.
With that in mind, here are two bold and admittedly unrealistic predictions for the Lakers heading into the 2025-26 NBA season.
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### 1. Austin Reaves Becomes the Lakers’ Leading Scorer, Averaging Over 30 Points Per Game
In a lineup featuring stars like Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the idea of Austin Reaves emerging as the leading scorer might seem far-fetched. However, this article aims to highlight an optimistic yet unlikely scenario for the Purple and Gold in the near future.
For the Lakers to truly contend in the highly competitive Western Conference, Reaves may have to take a significant leap into stardom, becoming one of the premier scoring threats in the league. This could mean him averaging over 30 points per game.
Consider this: With James sidelined, there will be roughly 18 more shots available for the team per game — the same average shot attempts James took last season. Should those shots fall mostly to Rui Hachimura or DeAndre Ayton? Probably not. While Hachimura can be effective in spurts, he’s not a high-volume three-point shooter or a consistently self-sufficient scorer. Ayton, despite his athleticism, tends to settle for tough midrange jumpers rather than aggressively attacking the rim.
Doncic will naturally take on more usage, but as one of the league’s most dominant scorers, he will attract heavy defensive pressure and double teams. This, in turn, creates opportunities for other players — notably Reaves.
Reaves’ offensive development has been impressive. Since breaking out in a starting role toward the end of the 2022-23 season, he has steadily improved his scoring output. Last year, he averaged 20.2 points per game, increasing both his three-point attempts and efficiency (37.7% on 7.3 attempts per game) while maintaining an impressive 61.6% true shooting percentage despite a larger offensive role.
At just 27 years old and in his prime, Reaves has ample room to grow. Even more encouraging are his numbers in games without James last season: in nine such matchups, Reaves averaged stellar stats — 27.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game on 49/43/91 shooting splits.
Surprisingly to some, Reaves has quietly become a borderline All-Star candidate for the Lakers and could very well earn his first All-Star nod if he continues on this trajectory. Offensively, he is versatile and crafty, often drawing fouls (averaging five free throw attempts per game last season) and capable of scoring from anywhere on the court.
Achieving a 30-point scoring average, even with James present, isn’t entirely out of the question — especially if LeBron cedes more offensive control to younger teammates as he manages his minutes and workload.
While it may be unrealistic for Reaves to outscore Doncic over the course of the full season, Doncic’s occasional absences due to injury make Reaves’ rise all the more plausible. Among unlikely Lakers predictions, this one actually has a feasible path to reality.
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### 2. LeBron James Misses Over Half the Season
The most games LeBron has missed in a single season so far is 27 — a mark he hit during both the 2020-21 and 2022-23 campaigns. He also missed 26 games in the 2021-22 season. Over the past two seasons with the Lakers, however, James has been relatively durable, missing just 23 games in total.
Now, at an older age, concern grows as he faces a lingering nerve injury (sciatica) that could affect his availability — especially as the tendency for such conditions to persist can increase with age.
Fortunately for James, he now enjoys a luxury he didn’t have for much of his career: he is no longer the unequivocal best player on his team. That role now belongs to Luka Doncic, while Austin Reaves has proven capable as a secondary star-level playmaker and scorer.
This shift means James can afford to rest more, ease back gradually, and preserve his health without the Lakers suffering significant performance drops on the court. Doncic has already shown he can carry undermanned squads to the playoffs, and James can focus on saving his peak performances for the postseason.
Given these factors, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if LeBron misses over half of the regular season games moving forward.
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### Final Thoughts
The Lakers stand at a crossroads, balancing the twilight of LeBron James’ incredible career while nurturing young talent capable of leading the franchise into the future. Whether Austin Reaves steps up as a top scorer or James takes a more limited role due to injury and age, one thing is clear: the Purple and Gold’s path forward will look very different in the coming years.
As with all bold predictions, time will tell how the 2025-26 season unfolds — but the possibilities certainly make Lakers fans eager to see what’s next.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/2-unrealistic-lakers-bold-predictions-for-2025-26-nba-season
