After building the 2026 roster around Luka Doncic and LeBron James, Los Angeles took a much different approach for 2027. LeBron is gone. That makes for an interesting comparison. Is the new Lakers roster actually better than the one they had last season?
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At point guard, the 2027 group gets the edge. The 2026 Lakers had Luka Doncic, Bronny James and Nick Smith Jr. in the point guard mix. The 2027 group keeps Doncic and Bronny but adds Collin Sexton, giving the position a much different dynamic.
Sexton brings another legitimate scorer and ball handler who can take some creation duties off Doncic. That matters more than it may seem. The Lakers cannot expect Doncic to control every possession, especially across an entire regular season. Having Sexton available gives JJ Redick another guard who can attack off the dribble, run pick-and-rolls, and create his own offense.
The shooting guard is closer, but 2026 has the cleaner case. At shooting guard, the 2026 group had Austin Reaves and Luke Kennard, who gave the 2026 Lakers plenty of shooting and offensive experience. The 2027 group keeps Reaves but replaces Kennard with Jaden Hardy and Cameron Carr. Kennard gave the 2026 Lakers something the new group cannot immediately replicate: proven elite floor spacing. His ability to punish defenses from deep made him an easy fit next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Hardy creates his own shot and attacks off the dribble, while Carr adds another young guard to the rotation. But neither carries Kennard’s established shooting reputation yet.
Small forward is where the 2027 roster gains another edge. The 2026 group had Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht, while Rui Hachimura could also slide into a forward role and create offense when needed. But the 2027 group offers a more balanced combination of size, defense and shooting. Ziaire Williams, Dalton Knecht and Quentin Grimes give the Lakers multiple options on the wing.
Grimes, in particular, adds a dimension the new roster needs around Luka Doncic. He brings aggressive point-of-attack defense, a 3.5 assists per game baseline of willing extra-pass playmaking, and a capable catch-and-shoot game that fits naturally into JJ Redick’s system.
The power forward obviously goes to 2026 LeBron James, and Rui Hachimura are difficult players to replace. LeBron could score, rebound, facilitate and defend across multiple positions, while Rui gave the Lakers size and scoring without needing to dominate possessions. Vanderbilt also provided a defensive option when matchups demanded it. The 2027 group can lean on Vanderbilt, Mamukelashvili and other versatile forwards, but it does not have the same proven production at the four. This is the clearest win for 2026.
Center, however, swings decisively toward 2027. The 2026 Lakers relied primarily on Ayton and Hayes. Both could contribute around the rim, but the new roster gives Los Angeles a more defensive-minded option in Walker Kessler. At 7-foot-2, Kessler brings the size and rim protection the Lakers have often lacked. He also gives Doncic a different type of target in the pick-and-roll and another strong rebounder behind the defense. Mamukelashvili adds more frontcourt versatility as well.
The 2026 roster clearly wins at power forward and has the stronger case at small forward. But 2027 takes point guard and center, while shooting guard is close enough to lean toward the new group.