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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 20: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring during the first half of their game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers are officially in their Luka Doncic era after LeBron James left in free agency this summer.
The Lakers added 10 new players this offseason, overhauling the roster and building around Doncic.
They also re-signed Austin Reaves to a massive extension, ensuring that one of the best offensive backcourt duos in the league remained in Hollywood.
Luka Doncic Describes Current Lakers Roster
On a recent Instagram post, the Los Angeles Lakers did a one-word interview with Luka Doncic. The Lakers asked their superstar plenty of questions, and he could only answer in one word.
One of the questions was how he would describe the current Lakers roster, and this was his answer:
“Happy.”
That’s a pretty good description for the Lakers, especially after Doncic hosted his teammates in Slovenia last month.
Doncic held a minicamp in his native country to get to know some of his new teammates and improve team chemistry. He prepared plenty of activities, including golf and visiting Lake Bled.
The Lakers also did some on-court workouts, with Doncic already in shape ahead of the new season.
Current Lakers Roster
The Los Angeles Lakers were pretty busy this offseason. They brought in 10 new players via free agency, trades and the draft.
Here is the Lakers roster ahead of training camp:
GUARDS: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Cameron Carr, Jaden Hardy, Bronny James and Chris Manon
FORWARDS: Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thieor, AK Okereke and Arthur Kaluma
CENTERS: Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney
The Lakers might need to add one more center to their roster, especially with just Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney at the moment. Sandro Mamukelashvili can play center, but he’s more of a stretch four.
They will also have to make a tough decision at training camp, with 16 players on standard contracts. They can only carry a maximum of 15 players on such deals, plus three on two-way contracts.
Training camp begins on September 29, while the preseason starts a week later.
Doncic Among MVP Candidates Next Season
Despite leading the league in scoring last season, Luka Doncic finished fourth in MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama. Doncic was hampered by a hamstring injury in March, which affected his MVP candidacy.
According to ESPN’s Eric Moody, Doncic is among the favorites to win the MVP award next season.
“Doncic averaged a league-high 33.5 points along with 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game last season,” Moody said. “He already has finished in the top six of MVP voting six times. The biggest hurdles are staying healthy enough to clear the 65-game minimum and getting the Lakers into the top three in the West. If he does both, it will be difficult to argue against Doncic winning the award.”
However, ESPN doesn’t believe that the Lakers are capable of winning at least 50 games in a top-heavy Western Conference.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
