The Los Angeles Lakers have retooled their roster around one of the game’s all-time greats: LeBron James, who is entering his eighth season in Los Angeles, and Luka Dončić, who was shockingly dealt to the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks prior to last season’s trade deadline.
Behind their two stars, the Lakers posted a record of 50-32, third-best in the Western Conference. However, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
LeBron James, Lakers Had a Wild Offseason
After a quick exit, the Lakers knew they needed to put more talent around James and Dončić.
The Lakers’ first move was to replace veteran Dorian Finney-Smith, who signed with the Houston Rockets this summer. They believe they did that by inking three-point specialist Jake LaRavia to a two-year, $12 million deal.
The Lakers badly needed an upgrade at center and added a former No. 1 overall pick, Deandre Ayton. Ayton signed a two-year, $16.6 million deal with the Lakers after being bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers.
As the offseason wore down, the Lakers also signed former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, a former Celtics star, to a deal worth $10,524,700 over two years.
Most importantly, the Lakers locked down Dončić, signing him to a three-year, $165 million contract extension.
James, meanwhile, decided to remain with the Lakers, exercising his $52.6 million player option. This decision only fueled rumors that James could be on his way out of Los Angeles to chase another ring. In this scenario, the Lakers would hand the reins over to Dončić.
Instead, the Lakers entered the season hoping to be a contender with their new look roster behind Dončić and James, but James has been battling a Sciatica injury and has yet to suit up for the Lakers this season.
How Much Longer Will James Be Out?
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James could be out another three weeks. “I’m told that we’re still in the range of about 3 more weeks before he would be targeting a return sometime in mid-November,” McMenamin reported.
LeBron James could be out for another three weeks, per @mcten
“I’m told that we’re still in the range of about 3 more weeks before he would be targeting a return sometime in mid-November.”
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 ) pic.twitter.com/VXORlPwCxd
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 27, 2025
The Lakers were hoping to get James back sooner, but it’s probably better to let James, 40, have as much time as he needs to keep him healthy throughout the season and into the playoffs. The Lakers will obviously need him if they plan on making any real noise in the postseason this year.
Without James, the Lakers have posted a record of 2-1. That came behind a historic start to the season by Dončić and heroics from guard Austin Reaves, who dropped 51 points in the Lakers’ 127-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings Sunday night in the absence of James and Dončić, who is nursing a sprained left finger and lower leg contusion that will be reevaluated in a week.
The Lakers will return to the court on Monday night when they host the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.
