By Leo Navarro
LeBron James won’t be sharing the ball with anyone in Los Angeles this season. He informed the Lakers on June 30 that he would not be returning, and he later signed a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option in Philadelphia. That leaves one question for the season: who does the second half of the playmaking now?
The Playmaking LeBron Took With Him
Last season James played in 60 games for the Lakers and averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists. He took a backseat to Luka Dončić, but a backseat James still ran a lot of the offense. Dončić averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals and won the scoring title.
Those roughly seven assists a night don’t come back automatically. The front office didn’t sign a replacement playmaker. Austin Reaves was the only free agent the Lakers re-signed, and the rest of the summer went to trading draft picks for center Walker Kessler and using cap space to make a host of long-term signings.
Austin Reaves, Promoted and Locked In
The Lakers are paying Reaves to be the answer. He signed a four-year, $185 million max contract with a player option in 2029-30, and in 2026-27 he will earn a base salary of $41,240,250. Last season he appeared in 51 games (45 starts), averaging a career-high 23.3 points to go along with 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals.
There’s real evidence he can handle the job. With Dončić and James hurt early last season, ESPN’s contract-year tracker had him at 31.1 PPG (48.9 FG%), 9.3 APG. After Dončić sustained a left hamstring strain, sidelining him beginning on April 2, Reaves averaged 20 ppg during the team’s 2026 playoff run.
The Lakers also have no way out before midseason. Reaves cannot be traded until Jan 15, 2027, and the pick cupboard is thin: for Kessler, L.A. sent two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. If the Reaves plan fails, there’s little left to trade for a fix.
The Minutes When Dončić Sits
This is where the plan is weakest. The bench additions were scorers. Sexton, signed to a two-year deal, gives the second unit a downhill scorer and shot-maker who can carry bench minutes when Doncic sits, and Jaden Hardy came over in the Deandre Ayton trade. None of that replaces a forward who could organize an offense on his own.
The roster is built to play differently, too. After finishing 22nd in pace and 23rd in made 3-pointers last season, this squad is significantly younger than last year’s. That only works if someone besides Dončić can find the shooters, and on this roster that’s Reaves or nobody.
Bronny James and the 15th Spot
Bronny isn’t part of the creation plan. He’s fighting for a roster spot. The 2026-27 campaign will be the first time Bronny will play in the NBA without LeBron on the Lakers’ roster, and the team has to cut down to 15 with Bronny being expendable along with others like Jaden Hardy, Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt. There have been reports that the coaching staff is quite fond of the USC product, but keeping him is a development decision. He won’t be relied on as a creator.
The Bottom Line
Reaves will
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