The latest setback for LeBron James is a sciatica diagnosis, confirmed earlier this week, which has brought instant repercussions for the Lakers. The 40-year-old reportedly experienced lower back and leg discomfort during training, and now faces a three-to-four week reevaluation period. This would keep him sidelined well into the start of the regular season. Until now, head coach and longtime friend JJ Redick had remained silent, but his recent remarks suggest a starkly contrasting future as one past decision haunts.

“You hope he can be back soon. Those things can be tricky,” Redick said, per Jovan Buha. This was the first time he addressed James’ injury. But he didn’t stop there. Redick also raised concerns about decisions made by the organization. Particularly pointing to Dorian Finney-Smith, who was traded away to the Rockets this offseason.

Finney-Smith was majorly supporting the team, especially within Luka-AR lineups, that too without LeBron. So now Redick implies that the front office faces a harder task: “We’ll need to figure out who fits best around those two,” in other words, need to find another strong piece, a substitute of Dorian, around Luka and Reaves. Could this mean LeBron’s return is more uncertain than ever?

Well, let’s be honest, this injury is one of many that LeBron has battled over recent seasons. Throughout the off-season, he struggled with leg soreness, foot issues, muscle strains, and more issues that kept him off-court. Even ESPN insider Shams Charania noted that this glute sensitivity he had, could well be on rise since July of 2025. It is only now that the seriousness of the injury is revealed.

And without LeBron, the Lakers posted a 6-6 record in the regular season. This indicated a balanced performance in the team, despite his absence. And this is exactly why, according to coach Redick, losing Finney-Smith becomes especially painful because now the Lakers must identify a replacement who can deliver similar defensive flexibility and shooting.

The Luka-AR lineup consisted of the core of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Dorian Finney-Smith that the Lakers leaned on when LeBron was unavailable. That configuration showed early promise, it allowed Luka to be a primary creator, Reaves became the secondary scorer and Finney-Smith was guarding wings, offering “3-and-D” versatility.

With LeBron out, that trio helped the Lakers stay competitive on both ends of the floor in stretches, keeping rotations manageable and allowing key floor balance that otherwise would suffer.

Finney-Smith’s role was integral with the Lakers. In the postseason, his minutes jumped, he logged 34.0 minutes per game over five playoff games compared to 28.8 in the regular season.

In 43 regular-season games (20 starts), the Lakers outscored opponents by +13.9 points per 100 possessions with DFS on the floor.

He stabilized the perimeter defense, shooting 39.8% from three on 4.8 attempts per game. Redick praised him as a “plug-and-play” player who brought “toughness and elite shooting,” crediting the trade with turning around LA’s season as their defensive ranking improved from 21st pre-trade to 4th post-trade.

Lakers insider Anthony Irwin detailed on his podcast, The Lakers Lounge, that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka had been contacting other teams to raise concerns about Finney-Smith’s health- specifically referencing his left ankle.

The intent, per Irwin, was to suppress DFS’s market value and push for a cheaper re-signing with the Lakers on a 2-3 year deal below the mid-level exception (~$12-14M annually).

“The word out there is that Rob Pelinka was going out there and talking to teams about Dorian’s [ankle] to try to tank Dorian’s free agency value and the offers that could potentially come in.”

He added that this “got back to Dorian and his camp,” souring negotiations and leading DFS to decline his $15.4M player option.

Lakers eyeing Jake LaRavia to fill in gaps after Dorian Finney Smith loss

We all know the name that comes in mind when we think of the next face of the Lakers. It has to be Luka Doncic. It was practically why he was traded in February, in exchange of Anthony Davis.

Since then, a support system is at play to provide Luka a comfortable spot. Luka who has not joined the preseason games yet, is also vocal on his approach in the whole situation. Luka Doncic said recently, “It’s a big change. He’a a great player. He can help us a lot. But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be next man up.”  And that next man could well be Luka himself, but to support him, there’s someone already in the team.

Enter Jake LaRavia, the 6’8” wing who has impressed throughout training camp and early preparations for the season. He is capable of defending multiple positions, spacing the floor, and creating his own opportunities.

The 23 years old LaRavia really offers the versatility the Lakers need. HC JJ Redick praised his dedication earlier this year, saying, “I’m VERY high on him… his level of commitment to what we’ve asked of the guys this offseason has been very high.” It is upto the team to make good use of his skills.

LaRavia’s signed to a two-year, $12 million contract, and has become a rotation lock over Dalton Knecht If used well, he is poised to earn even more minutes as the season progresses.

Last season, he shot 42.3% from three-point range. His efficiency positions him as a critical spacing and defensive option alongside Luka and Reaves. His growth trajectory, versatility, and readiness make him the immediate candidate to stabilize the Lakers’ rotation and support the team’s title ambitions this season.