Lakers Hit With Brutal Prediction After Roster Overhaul

The Los Angeles Lakers have undergone drastic changes since the team was swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA playoffs, with the roster overhauled and intentionally built around superstar Luka Doncic.

Along with LeBron James leaving the team in favor of the Philadelphia 76ers, every starter and notable player on the squad outside of Doncic and Austin Reaves have headed elsewhere this summer in NBA free agency and trades. Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton will be suiting up for new teams next season, leaving the Lakers with a lot of spots to fill.

New-Look Lakers Projected to Be ‘Most Disappointing’ Team in 2026-27

Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic — Basketball - NBA - Los Angeles Lakers visit to Ljubljana - Ljubljana, Slovenia - August 23, 2026 Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic poses for a photo with teammates on the court where he played growing up in Ljubljana REUTERS/Borut Zivulovic | REUTERS

As a result of all the changes made by the storied franchise, Los Angeles isn’t getting much love from some media outlets, notably ESPN, which has the Lakers at the top of its list of the five teams expected to be the most disappointing during the upcoming season.

The four teams below the Lakers include the Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.

The Pistons were the top seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs last season and flamed out quickly, while the Warriors stayed relatively quiet this offseason, leading to speculation about Golden State’s intentions to finish out the Stephen Curry era.

As for the Heat, Miami landed superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, but their new-look roster isn’t exactly striking fear in the hearts of opponents ahead of next season.

Then there’s the arch-rival Celtics, who made one of the most perplexing trades this summer, sending one-time NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, making a division rival that much stronger and not leaving much hope for the future with Jayson Tatum leading the way.

Luka’s Lakers Will Have No Shortage of Motivation

It seems that ever since LeBron James decided to leave the Lakers this summer, the 17-time champions have been doubted about where this team goes from here, with Doncic as the new face of the franchise.

With so many new players in Los Angeles, it’s not all that surprising that the Lakers would have their fair share of doubters, but some of these predictions are a little rough.

However, it only adds more fuel to the fire, with Doncic likely soaking it up and preparing for what could be an epic season where the new-look Lakers have a chance to prove everyone wrong who has shed doubt on the team’s immediate future.

Luka Doncic Projected to Win Second Straight Scoring Title

Ironically enough, ESPN doesn’t doubt Doncic’s ability to remain the league’s leading scorer, as he was way ahead of the other players that made the list, with 11 votes to only five for the next closest player, which is the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

After the two-time NBA MVP, it’s Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves (three votes) and San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama (one vote).

As for the MVP race, Doncic comes in third (28 votes) behind the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic (31 votes) and Wembanyama (102 votes).

There’s no doubt that Doncic and his Lakers squad will have something to prove in 2026-27, which could turn out to be very entertaining for the fans in Los Angeles.

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