NBA Analyst Claims Lakers Aren’t ‘A Good Team’ With Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Austin Reaves on the Floor Together

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a slow start after the All-Star break, continuing the yearlong discussion about whether the team is truly a title contender.

Much of the debate centers on the chemistry between Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. Top NBA insider Brian Windhorst offered a harsh take on the trio’s productivity.

Brian Windhorst Argues Lakers Aren’t ‘A Good Team’ With LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves on the Floor

Discussing the Lakers on ESPN’s “First Take,” Windhorst said the Dončić/James/Reaves trio simply isn’t good together.

Windhorst said, “So Austin Reaves came back about eight games ago from his injury, Luka missed some time in there, but when Luka, LeBron, and Austin Reaves play together, they’re just not a good team. And they’ve been leaning on the fact that injuries over the last two seasons have prevented them from really having a lot of time together, but the data is just the data.

“When Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić play together, when it’s just the two of them out there, the Lakers are an excellent team. When all three of them play out there, they’re not. They’re one of the worst offensive teams in the league when those three guys are out there together.”

“When Luka, LeBron, and Austin Reaves play together, they’re just not a good team… When it’s just Reaves and Luka, the Lakers are an excellent team.” 👀

– @WindhorstESPN on the Lakers

(🎥 @FirstTake / h/t @NBA__Courtside )

pic.twitter.com/J9gHcoGTik

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 25, 2026

The Lakers are currently on a two-game losing streak and sliding toward the Western Conference play-in tournament after spending much of the first half of the season as a top-five seed. The trio had mixed results in the Lakers’ recent 110-109 home loss to the Orlando Magic.

James had an efficient night, scoring 21 points on 13 shots, but he also finished with more turnovers than assists. Dončić recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 15 assists, though he struggled with his shooting. Reaves scored 18 points but also had a rough shooting night.

As Windhorst pointed out, Lakers head coach JJ Redick may have to make tough lineup decisions during the final month of the regular season. The Dončić/James/Reaves trio has a minus-2.6 rating this season and a neutral plus-0.1 rating last season.

Splitting the production into duos, Dončić and Reaves have a plus-2.5 rating, while James has negative ratings with both players this season. Dončić appears to have more chemistry with Reaves, which validates Windhorst’s point and sets up an intriguing offseason.

At this point, it seems likely either James or Reaves will exit the organization this summer. James’s agent Rich Paul shocked many in the NBA community when he said Reaves’s best fit on the Lakers is as a sixth man, comments James later distanced himself from.

With Reaves likely to decline his player option for next season and enter free agency, some insiders suspect Paul’s comments were a warning to the Lakers that James could leave if the team gives Reaves a massive new contract this summer.

For now, the Lakers may need to consider rotation changes to make a deep playoff run.