The Los Angeles Lakers entered their post-LeBron James era this summer after the four-time NBA champion informed the team he wouldn’t be returning for the 2026-27 season.
There are contrasting opinions on how the Lakers will perform without the 41-year-old superstar, who spent eight consecutive seasons with LA.
But former Lakers star Derek Fisher doesn’t believe the team is doomed without James.
“You think about the few organizations where LeBron has been, you tell me where their record has gotten dramatically better after he left. So it’s not going to fall off that much because Luka is there,” Fisher said on 97.1 The Fan LA.
“I think Luka and Austin Reaves are basically an All-Star backcourt that you can roll out every night, and then Walker Kessler is a young developing almost All-Star-ish type of big in terms of his elite defense and rebounding. So I think you have a chance…45 to 50 wins, a lot of things are going to have to go right, but it feels fair to me.”
General manager Rob Pelinka revamped the roster this offseason, headlined by the four-year, $130 million deal for center Walker Kessler. There have been several questions pertaining to the roster, specifically whether Luka Doncic can lead his teammates on a deep playoff run.
He’s already proven he can do just that with the Dallas Mavericks, but the city of LA demands winning sports teams. Doncic will have to show he can pull the full weight of the Lakers without James this season.
And it appears Fisher believes Doncic is capable.
