The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t expect their future to arrive this fast, but here it is—and LeBron James is not the center of it anymore. The Luka Doncic era has officially begun in Los Angeles, and Austin Reaves is proving that the core of this team is already strong enough to compete without the LeBron dependency the franchise has lived on for five years.
Now granted, James is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, a four-time champion, and the face of basketball for two decades. But the NBA is all about timing, and the Lakers finally have a new timeline worth committing to—one that forces a tough question: Why keep building around a 40-year-old star with one foot out the door when Doncic and Austin Reaves are already showing they can carry this franchise forward?
Luka Doncic Is the Franchise Now
Starting with the obvious: this is Luka Doncic’s team. The ball is in his hands. The Lakers’ offense runs through him. He has elevated everyone around him, especially Reaves, in ways James used to do when he was the one rewriting the league’s future instead of fighting it.
Doncic controls the pace, forces double teams every trip, and is the Lakers’ problem-solver in tight fourth quarters. The front office didn’t trade for a generational superstar just to hand the keys back to James when he returns from injury. Doncic isn’t just the best player on the team; he represents the next decade.
And when you commit to that, you have to build the roster to maximize his window, not James’ twilight.
Austin Reaves Is Thriving
Reaves spent his first few seasons deferring to James, adapting to the “make sure LeBron touches the ball first” system that every teammate adjusts to. But with those reps now going to Reaves, he’s become a late-game weapon, a legit secondary creator, and the guy whose confidence you can’t take off the floor.
He’s attacking earlier in the shot clock, scoring in isolation, and running pick-and-roll counters with Doncic that punish switches. Most importantly, Reaves no longer waits for permission to take over. That’s the product of a changing hierarchy.
James’ on-ball dominance used to keep players like Reaves capped. Doncic’s approach empowers him.
After turning down a summer extension, Reaves is widely projected to command north of $30 million annually on his next deal if he sustains anything close to this pace. Front office folks don’t talk like that unless the tape and numbers back it up.
Still, Reaves isn’t a true No. 1. He’s an elite No. 2. He’s Jamal Murray to Doncic’s Nikola Jokic. That’s his perfect role. And that means any roster shaped around Doncic plus Reaves will always run through Doncic.
LeBron James Is Slowing the Timeline, Not Extending It
Every sign points to James already looking beyond Los Angeles. From his player-option drama to the farewell-tour whispers, the constant public pressure on the front office, and his body showing the miles and the timelines catching up.
The Lakers can’t keep rearranging the roster every trade deadline to try and squeeze one more run out of James’ prime, because that prime is gone. The front office has to build for May 2026, not May 2020.
And when James returns? His style naturally demands the ball, slows down the offense, and shifts possessions away from Doncic and Reaves—the two players who need those touches to keep growing into dominant playoff killers.
It’s not just that the Lakers don’t need James anymore. It’s that keeping him could become the thing that holds them back.
Trading LeBron James Isn’t Betrayal
Rob Pelinka faces the toughest decision a GM can make: Do you move on a year early or a year late?
If the Lakers wait until James walks for nothing, they waste the leverage they currently have—his star power, his market value, and the opportunity to bring in depth that supports the new core.
Right now, contenders would still sell the future to get James for one last Finals push. Los Angeles could flip him into a starting-level defensive wing, multiple first-round picks, or young rotational pieces who fit with Doncic’s timeline; maybe even all three.
That is how smart franchises operate.
Let James chase ring No. 5 somewhere that isn’t stuck between timelines. Let him choose a team that fits his final chapter. The Lakers should focus on writing their next one.
The Lakers’ Time Is Now
The Los Angeles Lakers have what every franchise dreams of: a new superstar to build around before the old one fades out.
Luka Doncic is the future of the league and the franchise; there is no doubt about it. The former Dallas Maverick delivers Championship-caliber production every time he steps on the court. Reaves is the co-pilot Doncic needs. The supporting cast is better when they know exactly who they’re playing through.
James? He deserves to compete for titles without needing to carry the foundation anymore. But the Lakers also deserve a clean future, one built around a core that will only get better, not older.
