The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into a different kind of season after getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the NBA playoffs, and Charles Barkley thinks the next chapter could catch plenty of people off guard.
Speaking to Bill Simmons of The Ringer, Barkley said he believes Los Angeles will surprise a lot of people in the upcoming season. That’s a notable stance from someone who has spent years criticizing the Lakers, but this version of the team looks very different. LeBron James is gone, leaving in NBA free agency to join a superteam on the Philadelphia 76ers alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown.
With James out and the franchise now centered on Luka Doncic, the Lakers have entered the Luka Doncic era in Los Angeles. The organization has made it clear it wants to build around the superstar guard for the long haul, even if this offseason drew plenty of criticism.
There’s a sense that the Lakers may actually be able to slip a little under the radar. They always draw attention because of who they are, but the 2026-27 campaign could be a different animal if Doncic and company are viewed as serious Western Conference threats. The West is loaded and tilted toward the top, with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder leading the way, yet that kind of setup can also create room for a team like the Lakers to make noise without carrying the full spotlight.
That’s where Doncic comes in. He’s now the face of the franchise, he has something to prove, and he may have a real shot at his first NBA MVP award. The usual names will be in that race again - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic among them - but there’s a case to be made that this could be Doncic’s year if the new pieces around him click.
Barkley’s optimism fits a Lakers team that looks built differently than the one fans are used to seeing. And if the roster around Doncic comes together the way the team hopes, the league may have to spend more time worrying about Los Angeles than it expects.
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