Head to head · 2025-26 regular season · stats.nba.com

Lauri Markkanen vs LeBron James

9-8categories
Markkanen · James

Markkanen

Jazz

2025-26

James

76ers

Games

availability

34.3

Minutes

per game

33.2

26.7

Points

per game

20.9

6.9

Rebounds

per game

6.1

2.1

Assists

per game

7.2

1.5

Steals + blocks

per game

1.8

1.5

Turnovers

per game · lower is better

3.0

47.7%

Field goal %

51.5%

35.5%

Three-point %

7.7 vs 4.1 attempts

31.7%

89.6%

Free throw %

73.7%

60.8%

True shooting

TS%

59.4%

26.9%

Usage

USG%

26.2%

10.1%

Assist %

of teammates' baskets

33.8%

9.4%

Rebound %

of available

9.3%

-1.5

Net rating

on court

+2.6

13.9%

PIE

player impact estimate

15.4%

-1.3

Plus-minus

per game

+2.0

Bars show each player's share of the pair's total; the better number is in the club's color (turnovers: fewer is better).

Where the gap is

from the numbers above

Lauri Markkanen scored more in 2025-26, 5.8 points a game apart (26.7 vs 20.9), on Markkanen's heavier usage (26.9% vs 26.2%).

Markkanen is the more efficient scorer by true shooting, 60.8% to 59.4%; TS% folds threes and free throws into one number, so the gap survives shot-diet differences.

Playmaking goes to James (7.2 vs 2.1 assists), the glass to Markkanen (6.9 vs 6.1 rebounds).

Availability is part of the comparison: James played 18 more games (60 vs 42 of 82).

With James on the floor his team outscored opponents by +2.6 per 100 possessions, against -1.5 for Markkanen; on-court net rating carries the teammates with it, so read it next to PIE.

On the books for 2026-27: Markkanen $46.1M through 2028-29, James $3.9M through 2027-28. Whether either fits a trade is a Trade Machine question, not a stat one.

Splits

2025-26 · from the game logs

Markkanen

2025-26

James

17-25

Record when playing

39-21

28.1

Points at home

20.7

25.6

Points on the road

21.2

29.5

Points in wins

21.3

24.8

Points in losses

20.2

Season high

30-point games

Double-doubles

Last games & contracts

test a trade in the Trade Machine →

Markkanen · last 5

Wed, Oct 21 at MEM18 pts · 9 reb · 3 ast

Fri, Oct 16 at PHX19 pts · 5 reb · 1 ast

Mon, Oct 12 vs SAS11 pts · 1 reb · 2 ast

Tue, Oct 6 vs DEN0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Sun, Oct 4 at DEN17 pts · 2 reb · 0 ast

James · last 5

Tue, Oct 20 at NYK14 pts · 9 reb · 7 ast

Fri, Oct 16 vs BOS8 pts · 8 reb · 7 ast

Sat, Oct 10 at BOS0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Thu, Oct 8 at BKN10 pts · 4 reb · 5 ast

Mon, Oct 5 vs NYK0 pts · 0 reb · 0 ast

Markkanen · contract

2026-27$46.1M

2027-28$49.8M

2028-29$53.5M

James · contract

2026-27$3.9M

2027-28player option$4.1M

More comparisons

pick any two players →

Markkanen vs
Kevin Durant · Giannis Antetokounmpo · Kawhi Leonard · Victor Wembanyama

James vs
Zion Williamson · Cooper Flagg · Julius Randle · Franz Wagner

Markkanen vs the top 40 scorers of 2025-26
Luka Doncic · Shai Gilgeous-Alexander · Anthony Edwards · Jaylen Brown · Tyrese Maxey · Kawhi Leonard · Donovan Mitchell · Nikola Jokic · Stephen Curry · Devin Booker · Jalen Brunson · Kevin Durant · Jamal Murray · Victor Wembanyama · Michael Porter Jr. · Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Cade Cunningham · Keyonte George · James Harden · Austin Reaves · Jalen Johnson · Paolo Banchero · Norman Powell · Brandon Ingram · Trey Murphy III · Julius Randle · Cooper Flagg · Zion Williamson · LeBron James · Nickeil Alexander-Walker · Shaedon Sharpe · Alperen Sengun · Brandon Miller · Dillon Brooks · LaMelo Ball · Bam Adebayo · Karl-Anthony Towns · Desmond Bane

James vs the top 40 scorers of 2025-26
Luka Doncic · Shai Gilgeous-Alexander · Anthony Edwards · Jaylen Brown · Tyrese Maxey · Kawhi Leonard · Donovan Mitchell · Nikola Jokic · Lauri Markkanen · Stephen Curry · Devin Booker · Jalen Brunson · Kevin Durant · Jamal Murray · Victor Wembanyama · Michael Porter Jr. · Deni Avdija · Pascal Siakam · Cade Cunningham · Keyonte George · James Harden · Austin Reaves · Jalen Johnson · Paolo Banchero · Norman Powell · Brandon Ingram · Trey Murphy III · Julius Randle · Cooper Flagg · Zion Williamson · Nickeil Alexander-Walker · Shaedon Sharpe · Alperen Sengun · Brandon Miller · Dillon Brooks · LaMelo Ball · Bam Adebayo · Karl-Anthony Towns · Desmond Bane

Per-game numbers and percentages are 2025-26 regular season from stats.nba.com; splits and last games from our own game logs; contract figures are cap hits from public salary data and can lag a signing by a day. Bold marks the better number in each row (turnovers: fewer is better).