JJ Redick Makes Bold Statement About Lakers’ Championship Chances

After the Los Angeles Lakers made drastic offseason changes, including moving on from LeBron James, many questions arose about whether this revamped roster could compete with the best of the best in the Western Conference right away.

Ahead of the start of the 2026-27 NBA season, third-year head coach JJ Redick remains confident that his new-look Lakers squad can compete for a championship.

JJ Redick: Lakers Can ‘No Question’ Compete for a Title

During an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Redick expressed his confidence in his team, which he believes will “undoubtedly” be a title contender during the 2026-27 campaign.

“No question,” he fired back. “Undoubtedly. I think we have a lot of great tools and a lot of versatility, and I think that the guys are getting along, and I think connection makes championship teams. We definitely can be a contender.”

Although a bold statement, to say the least, especially for a team that was overhauled during the summer, Redick clearly thinks highly of this squad and is pleased with all the new additions to the roster.

Luka Doncic has also expressed confidence in how the team was put together during the NBA offseason. The perennial All-Star thinks all the signings the Lakers made were “underrated,” and he might be right.

“Like everybody that we signed,” Doncic said during Lakers media day. “I think there's a lot of underrated guys, a lot of new guys that are underrated.”

Along with Doncic backing his “underrated” teammates, the reigning scoring champion thinks incredibly highly of his new center, Walker Kessler.

Walker Kessler Will Be Key to Lakers Being Title Contenders

Sep 28, 2026; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers player Walker Kessler (14) during media day at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Personally, the biggest and most important addition to the Lakers, which will be crucial to winning more than any other player outside of Doncic and Reaves, is Kessler.

He’ll be the anchor of the defense, and after a peek at what this new-look roster can do without him, with Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams causing havoc on the perimeter, Kessler patrolling will be something to see.

During media day, Doncic made it clear how important Kessler will be to this team and how much he wanted the Lakers to get him.

“I really wanted him,” Doncic said of Kessler. “I think the organization wanted him. I wanted him. All the players wanted him. So I think it's an amazing fit for us. Obviously, rim protector. But then our offense, he improved so much that he's going to help us a lot.”

Only time will tell whether this revamped Lakers squad can truly contend with the league’s elite teams, but so far, Redick and Doncic are bought in and confident in what this team can accomplish during the 2026-27 campaign.

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