LeBron James’ role on the Los Angeles Lakers decreased in the 2025-26 NBA season. With Luka Doncic taking the reins of the team, the purple and gold created a Big Three with James and Austin Reaves. Offensively, the trio has played at a high level. On defense, they are liabilities for JJ Redick.
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Even before the All-Star break, many wondered how Redick would address this situation. NBA analyst Jovan Buha floated the idea of sending James to the bench and letting Doncic and Reaves run the show from the beginning.
“The Lakers are 8-4 when their Big 3 play, but the four best teams they’ve played in that stretch are Spurs, Suns, Rockets and now Celtics. They lost all four games by double digits,” Buha said on his podcast, making a case for Redick to bench James.
“…You could argue that having the Big 3 has actually been a big thing for the Lakers, factoring in how those lineups have performed up to this season.”
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When the trio shares the floor, the Lakers have an offensive rating of only 107.7. The AST/TO ratio is 1.78. The team’s overall offensive rating is 116.0, 8.3 points higher than when James, Doncic and Reaves are on the court together.
It seems that Redick would have to make this decision at some point. The Lakers (34-22) sit fifth in the Western Conference standings. They are one or two steps below the top four teams in the West.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
Amid rumors of a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James discussed his former team’s moves ahead of the trade deadline. The four-time NBA champion didn’t mince words.
“They’re going for it,” James said. “They felt like they needed another playmaker, someone that’s been there, kind of been in this situation before, and they added James (Harden), perennial All-Star who’s still putting up All-Star numbers. (Harden) gives Donovan Mitchell another, like, ball handler guy who can make shots late in the game.”
They could run it back in the 2026 offseason, but only time will tell.
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