Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce had an interesting take on the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances this season in a recent conversation with fellow Celtics icon Kevin Garnett.
The Lakers are off to a 7-3 start this season even though star forward LeBron James has yet to play in a single game. Many are awaiting his return, but Pierce believes they’ll get swept in the playoffs with James on the roster.
“They gonna get swept this team – this year, this team, with Bron,” Pierce said.
He continued.
“This team, right now, is the same team that if they play, I got Houston beating them,” he said. “I got OKC better than them for sure. I got Denver better than them. And they might not wanna see Golden State, a healthy Golden State team. And Minnesota, it’s still these other teams I’m rolling with now.
“They younger legs, they got more – I’m telling you, dawg. The Lakers gotta trade him (LeBron).”
Pierce then confirmed that that’s how he views the team with James in the fold, which led to Garnett asking him what would happen without the four-time champion.
“If they add some other little pieces, then they got a shot,” Pierce said.
He then clarified that the team would need to trade James in order to get those other “pieces,” and then he would have more trust in the Lakers.
It’s certainly an interesting take from Pierce, who has his own scars from losing to James in the playoffs during his NBA career.
The Lakers were the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference last season, but they were knocked out by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round. Los Angeles had James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in that series, but some current rotation pieces for the Purple and Gold weren’t with the squad during the playoffs last season.
The Lakers added Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia in the offseason, and all three players have played important roles in the 2025-26 campaign.
While Pierce may think the Lakers need more to win, both Reaves and Doncic have played at All-NBA levels to open the season. If James, who is arguably the greatest player of all time, can return sooner rather than later, the Lakers could get to another level on both ends this season.
After all, James was an All-NBA selection and averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game last season while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the arc.
The Lakers and James will aim to prove Pierce wrong this season and make a deep playoff run with their new core.