Luka Doncic and Revamped Lakers Roster Face Key Questions Ahead of Season Opener

Luka Doncic enters the season as the Lakers' primary star after securing his second career scoring title with 16 games of 40-plus points last year.

The Los Angeles Lakers open their season Wednesday at 7 p.m. PT against the Golden State Warriors following an offseason overhaul that saw all five starters from their previous playoff series victory depart. Luka Doncic, who averaged 56.8 points and 13.8 assists combined with Austin Reaves last season, takes over as the franchise centerpiece after LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. Doncic enters the year coming off a second career scoring title in which he recorded 16 games with at least 40 points.

To bolster a defense that ranked 20th in the league last season, Los Angeles traded two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps to the Utah Jazz for 7-foot-2 center Walker Kessler. The 25-year-old Kessler has averaged 2.4 blocks per game since the 2022-23 season, trailing only Victor Wembanyama. The Lakers also added free agents Quentin Grimes on a four-year, $60 million deal, Sandro Mamukelashvili for $52 million over four years, and Collin Sexton on a two-year, $27 million contract.

Depth concerns remain in the backcourt as Sexton missed the entire preseason with a right calf injury. During preseason play, backup guard Jaden Hardy averaged 2.6 turnovers to 1.2 assists while shooting 30.4% from three-point range. Bronny James, limited by a quad contusion, averaged 2.4 turnovers and 2.8 assists on 25% shooting from the field. Despite these challenges, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives the Lakers an 11% chance to reach the Western Conference finals.