5-Time NBA Champ Says LeBron James Departure Won’t Make the Lakers Like the Cavs or the Heat, Believes They Will Get At Least 50 Wins

· Yahoo Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have decided to go their separate ways after eight seasons and one championship together.

While James was no longer the same player who won nearly three consecutive MVP awards in the 2010s, he remained a formidable force and was still regarded as one of the best players in the league despite his age. His departure is a huge loss for the Lakers—or maybe not.

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Former Lakers player Derek Fisher does not view James’ departure as a major setback for the team. He also does not expect the Lakers to follow the same path as the teams the four-time champion left in the past. That is because the Purple and Gold franchise still has a superstar in Luka Doncic.

“You think about the few organizations where LeBron has been, you tell me where their record has gotten dramatically better after he left. So it’s not going to fall off that much because Luka is there,” Fisher said during a guesting on 97.1 The Fan LA.

Doncic is a superstar in his own right since arriving to the league in 2018. He joined the Lakers in 2025 after being acquired in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks, whom he had led to the NBA Finals the previous season.

He played his first full season with the Lakers last year and broke several records along the way. He finished the season as the scoring champion, the second scoring title of his career. Unfortunately for Doncic and the Lakers, he suffered an injury a week before the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) with guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Austin Reaves (15) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Lakers were sensational in the first round against the Houston Rockets, but they were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.

LeBron James’ replacement

James averaged 20.9 points per game last season, along with 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds. His scoring average was tied for the lowest of his career, matching his rookie-season mark.

That is still significant production. So, where will the Lakers find those points?

According to Fisher, Austin Reaves could help fill the void.

“I think Luka and Austin Reaves are basically an all-star backcourt that you can roll out every night, and then Walker Kessler is a young developing almost all-starish type of big in terms of his elite defense and rebounding,” he continued.

“So I think you have a chance. 45 to 50 wins, a lot of things are going to have to go right, but it feels fair to me.”

Mar 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Reaves is an undrafted guard who found home in the Lakers and playing alongside LeBron. He averaged 23.3 points and 5.5 assists last season.

He is a rising star and his paycheck reflects that. The Lakers will not let him go anywhere as they signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract extension last July.

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