When building around a superstar, there are certain truths that a front office needs to accept. They vary based on the player, but the one constant is that a franchise player's more polarizing tendencies are a part of the package when building around them.
The Los Angeles Lakers openly acknowledged that truth when they accepted Luka Doncic for the ball dominant player he is and built their roster around his preferred style of play.
Los Angeles' offseason consisted of drastic changes, calculated risks, and the departure of the former franchise player. The latter transpired when LeBron James announced he would not be returning to the Lakers after eight years and moved on to potentially greener pastures by signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
James' initial announcement and formal departure bookended the Lakers effectively cleaning house and arguably overpaying for replacements.
Los Angeles paid two unprotected first-round draft picks, two pick swaps, and $130 million across four seasons for Walker Kessler. It then gave four-year contracts to role players who have never played for the Lakers in Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Compounded by the multi-year deal it signed Collin Sexton to and the $185 million it handed Austin Reaves despite the fact that he's yet to be an All-Star, the Lakers had a polarizing summer. And yet, it was just what Doncic needed.
Lakers built with Luka Doncic's strengths and weaknesses in mind
Doncic finished the 2025-26 season ranked No. 1 in the NBA in usage rate at 36.8. Giannis Antetokounmpo on the 32-win Milwaukee Bucks and Jaylen Brown on the injury-plagued Boston Celtics were the only other two players with a usage rate of 35.0 or higher.
Doncic also ranked in the 43rd percentile in perimeter isolation defense, the 20th percentile in off-ball chaser defense, and the fifth percentile in ball screen navigation, per Basketball Index.
With this in mind, there were two areas in which the Lakers had no choice but to make adjustments. For one, they needed to improve defensively with an interior anchor who could cover up for some of Doncic's mistakes and wings who could handle the toughest assignments. On the other end of the floor, they needed players with off-ball value.
That's exactly what they found with catch-and-shoot specialists in Grimes and Mamukelashvili, and quality defenders in Grimes, Kessler, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams.
Lakers' calculated risks were about truly committing to Luka Doncic
As for James, the time had come to accept a true change of the guard. He deserves praise for embracing his new role as a third option in 2025-26, but there was still a need for him to receive significant touches. He did, after all, post a usage rate of 26.2.
With the new-look rotation, however, the Lakers have created a clear-cut hierarchy with Doncic as the No. 1, Reaves as the No. 2, and an assortment of talented players filling out the rotation.
Perhaps this will blow up in Los Angeles' face, as they handed four-year contracts to unproven fits in the rotation and parted with James when he was still playing at an All-Star level. Perhaps even Reaves will underperform and heralded rookie Cameron Carr will fall short of expectations.
Regardless of what transpires, however, the Lakers gave Doncic what he needed: A rotation that caters to his strengths, covers for his weaknesses, and allows him to play the way he prefers to.
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