By Daniel Benjamin,Last Word On Sports

Copyright yardbarker

While LeBron James is still on the roster, it is clear the Lakers are starting a new era. The Buss family sold the team to Mark Walter, and Dončić signed a massive extension this summer. The franchise also skewed a little younger this season, while also opting for flexibility. They re-signed Jaxson Hayes, inked Marcus Smart, DeAndre Ayton, and Jake LaRavia in free agency, plus acquired athletic Adou Thiero as part of the larger Kevin Durant trade.

“The Buss Family, God love ’em, ran the Lakers like a business, not a plaything/tax write-off. Walter’s largesse won’t be as industry-jarring in the NBA as it is in Major League Baseball. Still, if Walter’s spending on the Dodgers is any guide, the Lakers will get closer to the industry standard off the court under the new ownership,” David Aldridge of The Athletic said. “We’ll see if Ayton can still be a major difference maker after flaming out in Phoenix and Portland. Similarly, Smart isn’t what he was in Boston, but many advanced stats show he’s still one of the better defensive guards in the league – and he’s better defensively than anyone else LA can roll out. Losing DFS [Dorian Finney-Smith], though, is a blow.”

Los Angeles has 14 players on standard contracts with a salary cap hit of $194.8 million. However, with the Lakers just $1.12 million below the hard cap at the first apron, they don’t project to add a player before the season. They just filled their last two-way spot with the signing of former Charlotte Hornet first-round pick Nick Smith Jr.

Lakers Starting Lineup In Question?

Last year, Redick knew exactly who his starters were, naming his first unit before training camp even started. This season, the 41-year-old coach appears to be a little bit more hesitant.

“I haven’t spent much time thinking about the starting lineup yet, but I feel there are seven to eight starting-caliber players on the roster, ” Redick told The Athletic’s Law Murray a few days ago.. “We will know the official starters once the training camp starts.”

Doncic, James, Ayton, and Austin Reaves are locked into the Lakers’ starting lineup. That likely leaves Rui Hachimura, Smart, Hayes, and Gabe Vincent as the other players that Redick called “starters.” Honestly, the last spot will likely come down to Smart or Hachumaru.

Marcus Smart or Rui Hachimura

For their part, during the Lakers Media Day, Hachimura and Smart said that it didn’t matter if they started or came off the bench. However, Hachimura did tell NBA reporter Jovan Buha that the number of minutes he plays “are more important while also noting he’s been a starter for a couple of seasons and has built chemistry with the rest of that group.”

Hachimura served as the Lakers’ primary power forward, starting 57 of 59 games. He is an outstanding shooter who has the skills to be a strong secondary scorer. The Lakers were 37-20 in games that the 27-year-old forward started, including 10-3 with Doncic, with a +2.9 point differential.

Smart has battled injuries over the last two seasons, although he has been a starter and has also come off the bench during his career. The 31-year-old point guard has appeared in 54 games, making 27 starts, since 2023-24. He is an absolute dawg on defense and is a high-volume 3-point shooter.

Redick could go either way with his starting lineup. While I likely give Hachimura the slight edge to start, both players will get plenty of time with the first unit. Also, Redick could ultimately base his starting unit on matchups.

Projected Depth Lineup and Depth Chart

Breaking Down The Starters

PG: Luka Doncic, Projected 35 minutes

SG: Austin Reaves, Projected 33 minutes

SF: Rui Hachimura, Projected 30 minutes

PF: LeBron James, Projected 28 minutes

C: DeAndre Ayton, Projected 30 minutes

James is entering his 23rd NBA season and will turn 41 at the end of the 2025 season. Expect Bron to be very limited this offseason, and the Lakers to be cautious with his minutes, at least early in the season.

“LeBron’s camp has spoken to the Lakers and they said, let’s be overly cautious with LeBron [James], ESPN’s Dave McMenimin noted earlier today via Twitter.

Following McMenimin’s report that James’ camp spoke to the Lakers, Redick told McMenimin that James is dealing with “a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute.” Redick added that the plan was for James to be ready for the team’s season opener against Golden State, though he may play in at least one preseason contest.

Second Unit

6th man: Marcus Smart, 25-30 minutes

7th: Jarred Vanderbilt, 15-20 minutes

8th: Jake LaRavia: 15 minutes

9th Gabe Vincent: 10 minutes

10: Jaxson Hayes/ Maxi Kleber 10 minutes

If Smart isn’t in the starting lineup, he projects to be the first player off the bench. Assuming the Lakers limit James’ minutes, that means Reaves would slide down to the three, and Hachimura would take over for James at the four. Smart can also spell Doncic or Reaves in the backcourt. Smart is one of several other Lakers who are not currently participating in training camp. According to Lakers Beat reporter Mike Trudell, Smart is dealing with Achilles tendonopathy, but the team is hopeful that he will be a full participant by next week.

Vanderbilt, who could have an outside shot at starting at power forward, has been limited the past two seasons and can play either the 4 or 5. He has been chiefly a reserve since joining the Lakers at the 2023 trade deadline. The 26-year-old forward is an excellent rebounder and solid defensively overall.

Vincent is an undersized combo guard who doesn’t shoot it. However, he competes extremely hard and is a tough-nosed player, willing to do whatever is needed. Vincent is also not currently participating in camp, though he could by the end of the week.

Hayes and Kleber are slated to battle to be Ayton’s primary backup. Hayes is the more athletic, better rim protector and rebounder, while Kleber is more proficient offensively and provides floor spacing. The 33-year-old German can protect the rim and is solid defensively.

LaRavia could be one of the steals of free agency. Just 23, LaRavia is known for his shooting and versatility. He averaged 10.8 points for Memphis in 2023-24 and appeared in a career-high 66 contests last season between Memphis and Sacramento.

Just Out Of The Regular Rotation

11th: Kleber or Hayes: Whoever doesn’t win the backup center job. Still could see a few minutes a game with an increase of time coming with injuries.

12th: Dalton Knecht: Knecht had an up-and-down rookie campaign, but he shot the ball well. As a result, if he shows that he can defend better than a year ago, he could be a regular in the Lakers second unit. Otherwise, he will be in and out of the rotation, seeing spot minutes.

13. Bronny James: James is still on the outside of the rotation, but he could eventually get some spot time this year if he continues to improve.

14. Adou Thiero: Thiero has not played since February due to a knee injury. However, McMenimin recently said that he could be cleared by next week.

15. Nick Smith Jr.: Smith is on a two-way deal after being waived by Charlotte. The 2023 first-round pick is speedy and showed improvement in year two. Despite being on a minor league deal, the 22-year-old has a chance to have a role with the Lakers if he impresses during training camp.

16. Christian Koloko: Koloko, also on a two-way contract — he saw action in 37 games last year for the Lakers — has overcome adversity in his career. The athletic 25-year-old is a lob threat, an excellent offensive rebounder, and a rim protector. He will likely see time with the Lakers when there are injuries.

17. Chris Manon, 2-way contract. The 21-year-old guard is slated to spend most, if not all, next season with the G-League South Bay Lakers.