'Nobody Should Be Surprised' if Lakers Win 18th Title This Season, Say Multiple Insiders

Mar 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) react after a play during the first quarter against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

NBA insider Rachel Nichols stated "nobody should be surprised" if the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Championship in the 2025-26 season on the Open Floor podcast.

The Lakers have made plenty of noise in the offseason after being thrown into title contention conversations following their acquisition of superstar point guard Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks midway through the 2024-25 season.

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They have notably added center DeAndre Ayton after missing a real presence in the paint following Anthony Davis' departure in the Doncic deal, and have also increased their depth in the forward and guard positions with the signings of Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart.

"I am not putting the Lakers in the Oklahoma City, Denver category, to me they are in a category of their own," said Nichols. "But the Lakers, damn straight, are in the 'If they win the finals, nobody should be surprised' category."

After Doncic's arrival, the Lakers rose from the middle of the pack up to third place, and appeared to have a chance to make it out of the West. However, they fell in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, with an improved roster, they could make a serious run for a championship for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

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Nichols' co-host Chris Mannix had the same feelings about the Lakers after a soild summer.

"I'm putting them in the top tier," he said of the Lakers. "They are in my ring chaser tier."

"There's this perception that the Lakers are playing the long game," continued Mannix. "They've got Luka under contract. They're gonna worry about next summer when they can potentially have some clean books, go out and get a second superstar. Well they've got the second superstar. The second superstar is arguably the best player of all time in LeBron James. They've got the pieces in place to make a run."

The Lakers certainly have shown they have the ability to take over the conference with their second-half surge last season, and will hope to produce similar results for the entirety of the upcoming season to bring home an NBA-leading 18th ring.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.