Lakers After LeBron Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, left and head coach JJ Redick speak with reporters in a news conference at the Lakers' training complex in El Segundo, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026.
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LeBron James has left the building, and that’s not the only big change facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the upcoming season. James’ departure was still on general manager Rob Pelinka’s mind when he held his start-of-the-season news conference with coach JJ Redick on Thursday. Pelinka also exuded optimism about the Lakers’ latest new owners, the continued additions to his front office and the major changes on the their roster, headlined by the addition of center Walker Kessler. If Pelinka and the Lakers feel any disappointment about the circumstances of James’ departure, the GM has no intention of revealing it publicly.
