Lakers’ New Starting Lineup Revealed After Stunning Shakeup

The Los Angeles Lakers will only have one major change in their starting lineup for the upcoming season, Lakers Daily’s Ashish Mathur reports.

“A league source told Lakers Daily that Redick is expected to start [Luka] Doncic, [Austin] Reaves, [Rui] Hachimura, [LeBron] James and [Deandre] Ayton next season and have [Marcus] Smart, [Jake] LaRavia, [Jaxson] Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent run the second unit,” Mathur recently reported.

Ayton is the Lakers’ solution to their most pressing issue that led to their first-round exit last season. The former No. 1 pick averaged 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 56.6% last season in Portland. He gives the Lakers a double-double threat in the center position, weakened by Anthony Davis’ departure in the Luka Doncic trade last season.

The 7-foot center signed a two-year, $16.2 million deal with the Lakers after reaching a buyout with the Trail Blazers.

Ayton was part of the Lakers’ offseason splash that only cost them $19 million and a change. Aside from the 27-year-old big man, the Lakers also added Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year, and LaRavia on two-year bargain deals.

But despite Ayton’s addition, the Lakers still have the center position as their biggest concern entering next season.

“Nothing the Lakers do is under the radar, so this potential pitfall might seem more obvious than the other contenders’ concerns,” Dave McMenamin wrote on ESPN about the Lakers’ biggest concerns. “But until proved otherwise, L.A. is soft in the middle.”

Behind Ayton, the Lakers only have Hayes and Maxi Kleber. 

The Lakers could only be just one Ayton injury away from reverting to small ball, which did not succeed in the playoffs.

Anonymous NBA Exec Bullish About Lakers

While their center depth could pose a concern, an anonymous league executive views the Lakers as one of the favorites in the loaded Western Conference.

“They were the third seed last year and did that without a starting-level center,” the anonymous NBA exec told Lakers Daily. “They definitely got better by adding Ayton and Smart. I can see them making the conference finals. You can never count out LeBron. I don’t care how old he is. He’s still amazing offensively. And everyone keeps talking about how great Luka looks after his weight loss. He’s probably hungry to win it all next season.”

After opening the offseason with a veiled threat to leave the Lakers, James will start his 23rd season in Hollywood on an expiring contract. With something to prove, expect James to be more motivated this upcoming season alongside a better-conditioned Doncic and a beefed-up supporting cast.

Luka Avoids Serious Injury

The Lakers dodged a bullet following Doncic’s scary fall during Slovenia’s 100-88 exhibition loss to Latvia on Aug. 16.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Doncic has been diagnosed with a right knee contusion, citing sources briefed on the situation. The injury he sustained “is not believed to be serious.”

Doncic’s Slovenian teammate, Gregor Hrovat, fell on his right knee during the third quarter. He returned to the bench after briefly exiting into Slovenia’s locker room to determine the severity of the injury.

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Doncic will continue to compete with Slovenia in EuroBasket this summer.