The Lakers’ future just got a little clearer, and it’s already changing how they’re building the roster. With Luka Doncic locked into a long-term commitment, Los Angeles is shifting away from its cautious approach and opening the door to multi-year deals it had avoided earlier this summer.
“According to team and league sources, the Lakers’ stance on roster improvements heading into this season has shifted because of the start of this new chapter together,” wrote Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Luka’s arrival changed everything for the Lakers, but his new, three-year, $165 million maximum extension gave the Lakers a vision for the future. Now, with a franchise face already set, they can go all-in on building the perfect team around him.
“While the Lakers had resisted scenarios in which the team would take on contracts that lasted beyond the 2025-26 season earlier this summer, Doncic’s multi-year commitment has nudged LA’s priorities in more aggressive directions,” added Woike.
Before adding Doncic to the mix, the Lakers were glued to LeBron James’ timeline, and it was far from ideal. At 40 years old, James contemplates retirement every offseason, and GM Rob Pelinka was taking a much more cautious approach to team building. Rather than pushing all-in on win-now moves, he prioritized keeping their young players and draft capital to set up for a quick rebuild.
The Luka trade changed everything in that it gave the Lakers a clear path to follow. At 26 years old, Doncic hasn’t even hit his prime, and he’s young enough to lead the Lakers for the next 10 years. In his first stretch in Los Angeles, the five-time All-Star averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game on 43.8% shooting. Plus, he’s got the accolades of a future Hall of Famer as a five-time All-NBA player, former scoring champion, and former Rookie of the Year.
Alongside LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Deandre Ayton, Doncic already has the pieces he needs to lead the Lakers to glory, and he’s more committed than he’s ever been. After being insulted and betrayed by the Mavericks, Doncic made it a point to get into shape, and he’s already showing the results at EuroBasket this summer.
Just as the Lakers have changed course, so has Luka, and it’s earned critical acclaim from people all around the basketball world. If this new and improved Doncic can take his game to a higher level, it could be all they need to compete for the title in 2026.
After that, only time will tell how it plays out, but the Lakers are especially gifted at recruiting top talent, and they have more than enough assets to make some moves of their own. If they play their cards right, this Doncic era could be among the most prosperous stretches in franchise history.
The Lakers have long thrived on eras defined by their superstars, and Luka Doncic’s arrival ensures the next one is already underway. With his extension locked in, Los Angeles no longer has to tiptoe around LeBron’s timeline and can finally operate with long-term vision. If Doncic continues to elevate his game while the front office builds aggressively around him, the Lakers could be looking at their best chance to reclaim dominance since the Kobe and Shaq years.
