The 2025-26 Los Angeles Lakers season has officially come to a close, and head coach JJ Redick can't help but wonder "what if." After a promising regular season fueled by the dynamic trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, the Lakers' playoff run was derailed by untimely injuries—leaving Redick to lament what could have been a championship-caliber campaign.

Doncic missed the entire postseason, while Reaves didn't join the action until midway through the first-round series against the Houston Rockets. Even then, he wasn't at full strength. That left an already short-handed Lakers squad to face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder—a team that's tough enough to beat at full health, let alone without your three best playmakers.

"I wish we had more time with those guys all in the lineup," Redick said the day after the Lakers were eliminated. "We were just beginning to see what that could look like when Luka and AR got hurt. I think we all felt that excitement and that belief that we were beginning to be a championship-level team."

Redick, known for his sharp basketball mind, had installed impressive defensive schemes and creative offensive sets throughout the season. But even the best coaching can only do so much when your stars are sidelined. The Lakers failed to win a single game against the Thunder, a bitter end to a season that once held so much promise.

For Lakers fans, the feeling is all too familiar: a roster loaded with talent, but a medical report that tells a different story. The silver lining? An offseason of opportunity. With the right moves, this team could reload and finally give Redick the fully healthy lineup he dreams of—one where Doncic, James, and Reaves share the court when it matters most.