Comparing Blazers vs. Lakers After LeBron James Officially Leaves

The Portland Trail Blazers are breathing a sigh of relief after LeBron James officially signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his eight-year run in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers were one of the teams that ranked ahead of the Blazers in the West this past season, setting up a chance for Portland to leapfrog them in the standings. The Blazers made some positive progress of their own, giving them a shot to compete against the Lakers in the West. Here's a look at how the Blazers add up against the Lakers.

Point Guard: Luka Doncic vs. Damian Lillard

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic drives to the basket between Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Luka Doncic is one of the best point guards in the game, and now that LeBron is no longer with the team, he is being given the green light to lead Los Angeles for the future.

While Lillard is one of the all-time greats at the position, Doncic has him beat here by a wide margin, especially considering the fact that Dame is coming off of a torn Achilles and has not played since spring 2025.

Advantage: Lakers

Shooting Guard: Austin Reaves vs. Ja Morant

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves drives to the basket between Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Morant is a former All-Star with the Memphis Grizzlies, Reaves has emerged as one of the best rising guards in the league. In five years, he has become someone who averaged 23.3 points per game this past season with the Lakers.

After going undrafted, it's clear that Reaves has the tools to be one of the top guards in the league. Morant could be in line for a renaissance in his first year with the Blazers, but Los Angeles still has the upper hand here.

Advantage: Lakers

Small Forward: Quentin Grimes vs. Toumani Camara

Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes is defended by Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Lakers are looking new with the addition of Quentin Grimes, who spent this past season with the Sixers. In an unofficial "trade" between the Lakers and 76ers, the teams essentially swapped out Grimes and LeBron. The Lakers get the downgrade here, especially with Camara on the other side of the coin for the Blazers.

Camara is coming off the best season of his career so far with the Blazers, where he averaged 13.4 points per game while shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc. His offense is improving and his defense is some of the best in the league. He'll be assigned to defend Doncic during battles against the Lakers, making it tough on Los Angeles as a whole.

Advantage: Blazers

Power Forward: Sandro Mamukelashvili vs. Deni Avdija

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija puts up a shot against San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Sandro Mamukelashvili is playing with his third team in as many years after leaving the Toronto Raptors in free agency for the Lakers, who signed him to a four-year deal worth $53 million. Mamukelashvili should provide reinforcement for the Lakers, who lost Rui Hachimura in free agency to the Los Angeles Clippers.

However, the Blazers are countering with All-Star forward Deni Avdija, who enjoyed a breakout year with Portland this past season. Avdija will often go overlooked with Morant and Lillard back on the court, but the former 2020 first-round pick is not someone to forget. He should still play a critical role for the Blazers on offense and remain a reason why Portland wins this season.

Advantage: Blazers

Center: Walker Kessler vs. Donovan Clingan

Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan and Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Lakers having the edge in the backcourt and the Blazers having an advantage with their forwards, it all comes down to the center position for both teams. Each squad employs a very similar type of player.

Walker Kessler is new to the Lakers after a trade from the Utah Jazz, where he spent his first four seasons in the league. Kessler only played in five games last season due to a torn labrum but is healthy and ready to go for the Lakers, where he hopes to be an upgrade.

Donovan Clingan is on a similar career path to that of Kessler, except he looks like he's getting the hang of the NBA a bit sooner than his counterpart. Clingan averaged a double-double in Year 2, which was a season before Kessler did in Year 3.

Throughout their careers, Kessler has averaged 9.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game against the Blazers while Clingan is at 11.7 points and 11.9 rebounds against the Jazz.

It's a very even matchup, but Clingan's ceiling appears to be higher, which is why Portland gets the slight edge here.

Advantage: Blazers

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