The Los Angeles Lakers are less than a month away from kicking off their 2026 NBA season with a very different roster than the one they had a year ago. The most notable change will be the absence of LeBron James, who took his talents to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason.
Still, James is still clearly on good terms with his former Lakers teammates, including shooting guard Austin Reaves, with whom he recently linked up on the golf course, along with his son, Bronny James.
“We could still be together,” joked Reaves at one point, per Claire De Lune of The Guardian on X, formerly Twitter.
bob: “that’s a killer three right there, man”
austin: “…*could* still be together😏”
— claire de lune (@ClaireMPLS) September 27, 2026
Instead, James will be teamed up with Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid across the country, while Reaves and Luka Doncic hope that some of the Lakers' other offseason additions will be enough to cover up some of their well-documented shortcomings on the defensive side of the ball.
Article Continues BelowThe Lakers brought back Reaves on a max contract extension this summer and also traded for and signed Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, in addition to some other signings in free agency, including Quentin Grimes.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Lakers have added enough size and athleticism on the wing in order to cover for Doncic and Reaves' deficiencies, although the backcourt tandem should form one of the most lethal offensive duos in the NBA this year.
It will certainly be a sight to see when James returns to face his former Lakers team on Christmas Day in Los Angeles.
In any case, the Lakers are set to kick off their new season on October 21 with a home game against the Golden State Warriors.