The Los Angeles Lakers are under the microscope more than any other NBA team, but the spotlight constantly being on them doesn’t mean there aren’t any misconceptions about the group. The Athletic’s Lakers insider Dan Woike hosted a Reddit AMA on Thursday, where he shared some things the public might have gotten wrong about the team.
“We’re going on year two or so of Austin Reaves being the most vocal leader,” Woike wrote. “Luka Doncic is pretty quiet, LeBron James is way more of a lead-by-example player. And even before the Luka deal, Reaves was the guy who had bridged the gap between the back of the bench, the team’s stars, and the coaches. He was the most approachable and has been a critical behind-the-scenes presence.”
You’d have expected Austin Reaves to become a vocal leader now that he is the unquestioned second option behind Luka Doncic after LeBron James‘ departure. Woike, though, shares that Reaves was the one talking even when he was clearly the third-best player behind LeBron and Anthony Davis. Given he arrived as an undrafted free agent in 2021, it is incredible how quickly he earned respect in that locker room.
Reaves has spoken about his leadership style, and he made it clear he isn’t the type to scream at people. The 28-year-old doesn’t try to embarrass anyone, but tries to give his input to everyone on the team.
With Doncic apparently not being the talkative type, it’s ideal for the Lakers that Reaves is comfortable in that role. Now, while these two will certainly keep shining on the court in 2026-27, we can’t quite say the same about Bronny James.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has said Bronny hasn’t played well in preseason. The 22-year-old is averaging 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, while shooting just 26.7% from the field and 14.3% from beyond the arc.
Bronny, the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, showed progress as a sophomore, but these struggles have again led to questions about his future with the Lakers. While there have been calls for the team to move on, Woike says they still believe in him.
“The belief in Bronny James the person/player is genuine,” Woike wrote. “Of course the Lakers knew drafting him would make LeBron happy, but they’ve always been intrigued by his athleticism and length (despite his size), and since he’s been in the building, they’ve raved about his work ethic and how he handles all the craziness that comes with being LeBron James Jr.”
Bronny certainly has handled that part well. He hasn’t let the nepotism allegations get to him, but he has to play better than this.
Bronny might not be in danger of being shipped out of town right now, but he has to keep showing progress to stay with the Lakers long term. While he isn’t going anywhere just yet, fellow 2024 draft pick Dalton Knecht might be.
The Lakers need to trim their roster from 16 to 15, and Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt have been on the trade block for over a year now. The deadline for them to cut down the roster is Oct. 19, and if no trade materializes, they have to waive someone. That would mostly be Knecht and Woike explained why things haven’t worked out in Los Angeles for the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“The biggest issue with Dalton Knecht hasn’t been shooting and hasn’t been defensive effort,” Woike wrote. “It’s been processing. The way one scout put it to me that’s stuck with me – Knecht’s on-court IQ isn’t strong enough for him to just think the game, and he’s not instinctual enough to just go play freely.
“Obviously, he’s been in a tough spot with the org. since the Mark Williams deal, and almost everyone agrees that if it’s going to happen for him, it’ll need to be somewhere else,” Woike added.
Knecht was headed to the Charlotte Hornets in February 2025 as part of the package for Mark Williams, but the Lakers later rescinded the trade. They had concerns regarding Williams’ health and decided he wasn’t worth the risk. This did mean, however, that Knecht was back with a team he knew had just tried to ship him out. To say that isn’t ideal would be an understatement.
We haven’t even seen glimpses of the promise Knecht showed in his early days as a Laker for quite some time now, and Woike shared that both sides have grievances.
“I can’t speak to what his mindset is other than I know he wishes he had more opportunity and I know the coaching staff wishes he played with more energy and urgency when he gets his chances in game,” Woike wrote.
A parting of ways is probably for the best, and the Lakers have discussed a Knecht trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. Here’s hoping he is able to revive his career elsewhere.
As for the other man on the trade block, moving Vanderbilt has proven challenging for years because of his contract. He is entering the third year of a four-year, $48 million deal, and the Lakers’ decision to hand him this contract is one of the bigger mistakes they have made.
Vanderbilt is a fine defender but is a non-factor on offense. The 27-year-old is notably a poor three-point shooter (29.3% in 2025-26), and that’s what Woike pointed to as the issue.
“The contract is viewed very negatively around the league, and it’s just really difficult for players to find a spot in JJ Redick’s offense if you can’t be a credible shooting threat,” Woike wrote.
Vanderbilt has a player option for 2027-28, which he is almost certainly picking up. The Lakers might only be able to move him in a year or so when he’ll be on an expiring contract.
Now, Vanderbilt hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time under Redick, and we might see even less of him in 2026-27. The Lakers have brought in many new faces, and Woike explained the team believes they can elevate them defensively.
“They think they’re going to be pretty competitive defensively,” Woike wrote. “There’s belief in [Matisse] Thybulle, [Ziaire Williams], [Quentin] Grimes, and [Jake] LaRavia as half-court defensive players, and they think [Collin] Sexton can be a menace over 94 feet (they’re going to pressure a lot),” Woike wrote. “We’ll see how they hold up physically to this, but with Walker Kessler as the anchor, they think the concerns on that side of the ball are a little overblown.”
The Lakers are expected to be great offensively and struggle defensively. That is why they aren’t viewed as title contenders, but they clearly seem to believe they’ll be better defensively than the critics think. Time will tell which side is right.