Projecting Lakers' Starting Lineup, Depth Chart Amid LeBron James Injury
The Los Angeles Lakers will be without their star veteran to start the season.
Per ESPN's Shams Charania, LeBron James will be sidelined for three to four weeks due to sciatica on his right side, meaning he won't be on the court for opening night.
With James out, here's a look at the Lakers' possible starting lineup and depth chart.
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Lakers 2025-26 Depth Chart
- PG: Luka Donฤiฤ, Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart
- SG: Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James
- SF: Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero
- PF: Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber
- C: Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Christian Koloko
The Lakers' lineup could vary night by night depending on who they face. They could take a smaller approach by putting Marcus Smart at the shooting guard spot, moving Austin Reaves into the small forward position and having Rui Hachimura take on power forward duties.
No matter what lineup they use, it will almost certainly include a core of Luka Donฤiฤ, Deandre Ayton and Reaves. From there, head coach JJ Redick can swap between different players and rotations.
Obviously, Los Angeles will look to Donฤiฤ to carry the load, as he has done for most of his career, but the Lakers will need others to step up as well. Reaves had his best offensive season a year ago, and they'll need more of that with James out.
Should Jarred Vanderbilt take over at power forward, the team will need him to provide a bit more offense than he has in past seasons. Ayton's role will mostly stay the same on both the offensive and defensive ends, but he'll have to create his own shots more than he would if he had James on the court.
Though Los Angeles would prefer to have James healthy to start the season, being without him will be a good test for what's to come. Despite James' durability over the past few seasons, it's hard to imagine he'll be on the court every night considering his age.
When James is not available, the Lakers must learn how to win games without him, and the beginning of the season will be their first test.
