The Lakers’ summer overhaul has left one clear constant at the center of everything: Luka Doncic. With LeBron James now headed to the Philadelphia 76ers and a wave of new faces around him, the Lakers are moving into a 2026-27 season built around Doncic as the undisputed leader.
That shift makes the reunion with Jaden Hardy even more notable. Hardy is one of the familiar names coming back alongside Quentin Grimes, after the two shared the floor with Doncic in Dallas. Now all three are set to be part of the Lakers’ mix again, with Hardy recently talking about what stood out most from his time playing with Doncic.
Speaking on the Lakers' YouTube channel, Hardy said he is excited to reunite with Doncic and play in front of what he calls the “best fans in the world” in Los Angeles.
What stuck with Hardy most, though, was the way Doncic handled younger teammates in Dallas. Hardy said Doncic helped “instill confidence” in the players around him, and that it made a real difference for him as a rookie with the Mavericks.
The Lakers’ new-look roster includes Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Bronny James, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia and Chris Manon, but the franchise’s direction is clearly tied to Doncic. Head coach JJ Redick and company are expected to lean heavily on the perennial All-Star as the team heads into the 2026-27 campaign.
Doncic has already taken an active role in helping the group come together. He funded a trip to his home country of Slovenia so the Lakers could spend time bonding and start building chemistry.
That overseas trip has drawn strong praise from Doncic’s new teammates, and by the sound of it, the early returns have been positive. For a roster that looks very different from last season, it may have been exactly the kind of reset this team needed.
In Other News...
Lakers Nearly Paid Dearly For One Austin Reaves Miscalculation
Austin Reaves next deal ended up looking like a win for both sides, but it did not get there easily. The Lakers opened with a lower annual offer in the low $30 million range, a number Reaves turned down as interest around the league began to build. Brooklyn and Detroit were among the teams watching closely, and the Pistons were reportedly close to putting a max offer on the table, which raised the stakes for Los Angeles as it tried to keep one of its most important young guards in place.
The Lakers responded by upping their offer and eventually landed Reaves on a four-year, $185 million extension. Reaves also gave a little ground to help the rosters flexibility, a detail that mattered for a team trying to keep its core intact without boxing itself into a corner. In the end, the negotiation was a reminder that even a player the Lakers clearly wanted back could have been lost if they had stuck too long with their first number. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Just Added Another Roster Battle Lakers Fans May Hate
The Lakers have already done plenty of roster shuffling this offseason, but the work does not feel finished. A few more moves still seem possible as the front office keeps sorting through the edges of the roster, and that leaves plenty of room for the kind of developments fans in Los Angeles always notice, especially when a familiar name resurfaces elsewhere in the conference.
Devin Carter is the latest one. The former Lakers-related player has signed with Boston and will compete for either a standard roster spot or a two-way deal, giving the Celtics another chance to find value in a young guard who has been on the move. Carter was cut by Atlanta before landing in Sacramento last season, where he averaged 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 18.4 minutes across 38 games, and now he gets a fresh opportunity in a place Lakers fans would probably prefer not to see him stick. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Silver Just Reopened A Tense Lakers Ownership Debate
Adam Silvers remarks on Tuesday put a familiar Lakers subject back in the spotlight: ownership, and the scrutiny that comes with it. The NBA commissioner said the league did its homework before approving Mark Walter as the teams controlling owner last October, pointing to a thorough review that included consultations with government agencies and other professional leagues.
Silver said the league found no red flags during that process, even as allegations continue to swirl around Walters broader investment empire. Now the next step sits with the league again, after Walter agreed to sell his stake to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, a deal that still needs NBA approval and keeps the franchises ownership picture very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]