Lakers want LeBron James to return for another season alongside Luka Doncic, GM Rob Pelinka says
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka wants LeBron James to return for another season alongside Luka Doncic.

Dolphins fans are advised not to focus on the team's win-loss record or root for losses in 2026 for a better draft pick. Such attitudes detract from the true essence of the season.
MIAMI GARDENS ā Here are two hardcore rules for Dolphins fans in 2026:
ā Donāt fixate on the season record. If you obsess on wins and losses, you miss the focal point of the season.
ā Donāt root for the Dolphins to lose so they can get a higher draft pick. If you root for the Dolphins to finish, say, 4-13 instead of 7-10, youāre bordering on residency in Loserville.
Got it?
OK, letās break this down.
Iām expecting the Dolphins to have between four and six wins this season.
That win total is fine as long as the team is making progress toward its No. 1 goal this season, which is general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley knowing theyāve acquired the right type of player ā aggressive, hungry, focused, determined, competitive. And good.
Yes, the Dolphins want to win. But this is the first step of a major rebuild so the season record isnāt the main objective.
This new regime must prepare these players to make a run for a playoff spot in 2027, not 2026.
The best policy this year is scrutinizing the way the Dolphins play ā preparation, effort, gameplan, halftime adjustments, weekly adjustments, personnel decisions and individual improvement ā more than the outcome of the game.
And to be clear, Dolphins fans should root for their team to win as many games as possible in 2026.
Winning means you have good coaches and players.
Having the No. 1 pick of 2027 draft means the rebuild is failing.
Dolphins fans should be more encouraged by a 6-12 record in 2026 and the No. 16 pick in the 2027 draft rather than a 3-14 record and the No. 1 pick in the draft.
A 6-12 record probably means that quarterback Malik Willis is trending upward, and most likely so is the defense. And perhaps the offensive line is showing promise, or your first-round picks of the last few years ā defensive end Chop Robinson, defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and guard-tackle Kadyn Proctor ā are all showing potential.
Rooting for losses can lead to a negative mindset and detracts from enjoying the season's journey.
Dolphins fans should avoid fixating on the season record and should not root for the team to lose for a better draft pick.
Obsessing over wins and losses can cause fans to miss the more important aspects of the season and the team's development.
Rooting for losses can lead fans to a negative outlook, which is described as bordering on 'residency in Loserville.'
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka wants LeBron James to return for another season alongside Luka Doncic.
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A 3-14 record, on the other hand, probably means the rebuild is going slower than expected, that Willis isnāt the quarterback they thought he was, and there is legitimate reason to question Sullivan and Hafley.
A 3-14 record also puts enormous (and possibly unrealistic) pressure on Sullivan and Hafley to have their 2027 first-round draft pick be an immediate franchise savior.
The Dolphins donāt need a top three 2027 draft pick to get a good player.
Good players can be found anywhere in the first round.
For example, in the 2023 draft, you could have selected Carolina quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick, New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 pick, or Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the No. 20 pick.
Gonzalez and Smith-Njigba are All Pro and Pro Bowl selections.
Young and Stroud show promise at times, but theyāre not as good as Gonzalez or JSN.
In the 2024 draft, would you rather have had Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick, or Philadelphia cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, the No. 22 pick who is an All Pro and Pro Bowl selection?
You get the idea.
Yes, theoretically you have a better chance of selecting a quality player when you can choose No. 1 instead of No. 17.
But there are still many outstanding players in the draft at pick No. 17.
Find him. Draft him. Develop him.
Iād hate to see Dolphins fans go down the road of āSuck for Luckā or āTank for Tuaā in 2026 so the team can draft, say, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Texas quarterback Arch Manning or Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.
The Dolphins canāt afford a three-win 2026 season.
I donāt have to remind you that rebuilds/turnarounds happen at a rapid pace nowadays. And they happen in a variety of circumstances.
Jacksonville, in 2025, its first season under a 35-year-old GM (James Gladstone) and a first-time head coach (Liam Coen), went 13-4 last season after going 4-13 in 2024 and 9-8 in 2023.
Seattle won the Super Bowl last season under second-year coach Mike Macdonald after going 9-8 in 2023 and 10-7 in 2024.
New England made the Super Bowl last season under second-year coach Mike Vrabel after going 4-13 in 2024 and 2023.
Denver, under veteran coach Sean Payton, went 14-3 and advanced to the AFC Championship last season after finishing 8-9 in 2023 and 10-7 in 2024.
The key for the Dolphins in 2026 is making sure they have the right union among coach, player and system.
By the way, this season is also a learning experience for Sullivan and Hafley. Theyāre first-timers in their current roles. A three-win season probably means they didnāt learn quickly enough.
If the Dolphins emerge from this season knowing they have the right type of player while winning as many games as possible, itāll be deemed a successful season.