Lakers reportedly relying on $51M inconsistent starter for playoff success alongside LeBron James

2026-04-07 · Yahoo Sports

Lakers reportedly relying on $51M inconsistent starter for playoff success alongside LeBron James originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are looking forward to the playoffs, but that anticipation may have turned into a nightmare with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined by injuries. The Lakers were genuine contenders—just as LeBron James wanted.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”

With two of their best players potentially missing the first round, Los Angeles now has its back against the wall. For the remainder of the regular season, the Lakers will have to rely heavily on James and Rui Hachimura if they hope to achieve success.

“This final stretch of the regular season will be a true test. Can Hachimura find some rhythm and shake off being a streaky shooter? If not, can he get back to being the well-rounded player he was when the Lakers first acquired him from the Washington Wizards? If neither of those things happen, these final four games for LA are about to be extremely ugly, and the postseason will follow suit,” Lake Show Life’s Chris Lambert wrote.

Hachimura can be a knockdown shooter when he’s on, but when he’s off, it becomes a serious concern for the Lakers. The Gonzaga product is in the final year of his $51 million contract with the team.

The timing of these setbacks has been brutal, but if there’s a potential hero in all of this, it is Hachimura. The Lakers need someone to hold down the fort while Doncic and Reaves are out. If Hachimura can support James long enough for the duo to return, it could make all the difference.

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