The only largest piece of Los Angeles Lakers enterprise — greater than Jeanie Buss promoting the workforce, greater than the LeBron James drama, greater than Austin Reaves’ declined contract extension and greater than touchdown a beginning middle — has but to happen.
Luka Dončić, who grew to become the face of the Lakers’ current and future the second Rob Pelinka and the group shocked the NBA by buying him from Dallas final February, is eligible to signal a contract extension with the franchise on Aug. 2.
Whereas Dončić hasn’t straight addressed his future with the franchise this summer season — time he’s spent in Europe placing collectively an all-time revenge glow-up — his actions behind the scenes crystalize why the Lakers are assured with how issues stand.
Dončić, in keeping with league sources, had communicated his needs for a succesful rim-running middle, taking pictures assist and defensive assist. The Lakers responded by filling these wants with Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and, quickly, Marcus Sensible.
Welcome residence, Deandre and Jake 💜 pic.twitter.com/V2U56EnrFX
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 9, 2025
Along with that, league sources stated, Dončić has been an energetic recruiter for the Lakers this summer season and helped safe commitments from Ayton and Sensible after each unexpectedly hit free company by way of contract buyouts.
The Lakers additionally posted an interview with Dončić on Saturday (taped through the season) that ended with him saying that he hoped his legacy with the Lakers would depart him often called “the man that introduced championships to town.”
All of it has the Lakers assured they’re in alignment with Dončić of their plans to construct a championship roster.
None of that is to say that Dončić was going to patiently look forward to subsequent summer season or a talent-rich 2027 free company crop for the Lakers to start stacking their workforce. Whereas Dončić and the Lakers perceive their long-term flexibility wants, the short-term motion has, on paper, signaled a dedication to competing within the quick time period, offered some issues break their approach.
If — and it’s a phrase you hear rather a lot if you communicate to folks in regards to the Lakers’ summer season up to now — a couple of key issues occur, competition might be nearer than a fast first-round exit final spring would counsel.
The argument for the Lakers goes one thing like this:
Dončić has dedicated to entering into implausible form due to a strict weight-reduction plan and train routine forward of EuroBasket, and has shaken off most of, if not all, the shock from a commerce he by no means believed was potential.
Reaves and James could have a full coaching camp to learn to greatest play off of Dončić and vice versa, the Lakers having three very smart, adaptable items getting the good thing about time collectively.
Rui Hachimura quietly had his greatest season within the league on either side of the court docket and had his second-straight season making greater than 40 % from three.
Ayton is a large wild card, however the final time he performed basketball with a pick-and-roll maestro, he was the beginning middle for an NBA Finals workforce with the Phoenix Suns. Heading right into a contract yr, he’ll by no means have extra monetary motivation to be persistently engaged.
LaRavia will get his first constant crack at actual role-player minutes round expertise and may see the standard of his appears to be like soar whereas getting an opportunity to dig in defensively on the glass.
Sensible was the Defensive Participant of the Yr simply three seasons in the past, however he’s barely been on the court docket since. If the Lakers can get a run of fine luck with Sensible taking part in a lowered load, that, just like the Ayton and LaRavia offers, has an opportunity to be great worth.
Maybe most significantly, the Lakers are on this place with out having to give up their 2031 first-round draft choose, Dalton Knecht or some other restricted commerce property.
Whether or not or not the Lakers’ strikes are ok to vault them up towards the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder or enable them to maintain tempo with the Rockets, Nuggets and Clippers — who all made splashy strikes this summer season — stays to be seen. Nevertheless, it does appear clear that, a minimum of for now, they’ve offered Dončić on a imaginative and prescient he trusts.
Come the primary weekend in August, he can signal an extension to cement that.
(Photograph: Harry How / Getty Pictures)
