With LeBron James, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura gone and Walker Kessler in, the Lakers' stat sheet is about to look very different.
The Los Angeles Lakers that report to training camp later this month will look nothing like the group that won 53 games last season.
LeBron James is in Philadelphia, Deandre Ayton was traded to Washington and Rui Hachimura signed with the Clippers.
In their place are Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Kevon Looney and Ziaire Williams, while Austin Reaves is back on a four-year deal.
When that much of the rotation turns over, the leaderboard does too, so here is a best guess at who tops each one.
Points and Assists Stay With Luka Dončić
Dončić led the league in scoring last season at 33.5 points per game across 64 games, and finished third in the NBA at 8.3 assists while making 4.0 threes a night.
Reaves was second at 23.3 points and 5.5 assists and should climb with James gone, but the gap is too wide to close.
The only worry with Dončić is his health, since a hamstring strain in April cost him the last five regular season games and the whole playoff run, which ended in a second-round sweep by Oklahoma City.
He said in August, per Dan Woike of The Athletic, that he is fully healthy again, and the projected starting five around him is built to keep the ball in his hands.
Rebounds and Blocks Belong to Walker Kessler
Ayton led the Lakers with 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game last season, and a contender should not be led by those numbers.
In 2024-25, his last healthy season in Utah, Kessler averaged 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 58 games with an NBA-leading 4.6 offensive boards, and the Lakers gave up two first-round picks and two swaps for him.
He played only five games last season before November surgery on his left shoulder, which worries me.
He told reporters at Summer League in July, per ESPN, "It's been cleared. It feels strong. It feels mobile. I'm just excited to play again."
If he is anywhere near his old self, he wins both categories easily, and Horace Grant's point that the Lakers were missing toughness in the middle is the reason they made this trade.
Steals Are the Only Real Race
Dončić led the team at 1.6 steals per game last season and would be the safe pick on minutes alone, but Thybulle averaged 2.0 steals in 16 minutes a night with Portland, and he was signed to fix the perimeter defense.
If JJ Redick gives him 20 to 25 minutes, he takes the category, with Jake LaRavia and his 1.3 steals per game across 82 games as the sleeper.
My pick is Thybulle, because the Lakers did not sign him to sit, and Grimes, who might be the best value signing of the summer, adds more pressure on the ball.
The Lakers still have 16 players on guaranteed contracts, so one must be traded or waived before opening night on Oct. 20, but the names in question sit at the end of the bench.
So my card has Dončić in points, assists and threes, Kessler in rebounds and blocks, and Thybulle in steals, which would make this the first Lakers stat sheet in eight years without James on it, if the shoulder holds up.
