Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. isn't impressed by the Los Angeles Lakers' revamped roster ahead of their first season since LeBron James left via free agency. Gilbert Arenas predicts the cost of tickets in Los Angeles will drop in 2026-27. Chicago Bulls guard Norman Powell called this year's Lakers most-overrated in the NBA.
Now, Porter Jr. is speaking out about the Lakers and their pursuit to winning their first championship since 2020, per N3on.
âÂÂYeah, I donâÂÂt like that roster,â Porter Jr. said. âÂÂTo win a championship, roster? They might be solid. But I don't see them winning a [championship].âÂÂ
Article Continues BelowâÂÂYeah. I donâÂÂt like that roster⦠They might be solid. But I don't see them winning a [championship]."
Michael Porter Jr. on the Lakers ðÂÂÂ
(via @N3onOnYT)pic.twitter.com/1jx4oMMDUC
â ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 16, 2026
With All-Star Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Kessler Walker leading, the Lakers will enter their first season in eight years withoutÃÂ LeBron James. After both parties seemingly agreed to go their separate ways following Los Angeles' 4-0 second-round sweep against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers inked Reaves to a four-year, $185 million extension. Still, Michael Porter Jr. isn't impressed.
Doncic, who inked a three-year, $165 million extension in 2025, cements one half of the Lakers' starting backcourt alongside Reaves for the foreseeable future. And in a sign-and-trade deal with the Utah Jazz, the Lakers inked Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million deal, averaging $32.5 million annually, and includes a player option for the 2029-30 season.
Amidst a competitive Western Conference, led by the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and the Thunder, both of whom have the best odds of winning a championship in 2027, few are reluctant to give the Lakers their due as title contender this upcoming season. As teams such as the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves remain in the mix, they'll look to prove people wrong.

