Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic put his full trust in Rob Pelinka last summer when he inked a $165 million extension. Besides granting the Lakers time to build a proper team around him, it gave them a baseline to construct their entire identity.
That’s why it’s more important than ever for the Lakers to keep him happy and reward his show of loyalty. The good news is, while Doncic knows the work ahead of him, he’s satisfied with the Lakers’ offseason and sees a realistic path to contention. It’s a direct contradiction to the feelings of critics and fans, who have been underwhelmed with the team’s recent moves.
“I checked in with someone close to Luka who told me in a word: He’s excited about the moves that they made, now recognizes that there’s a lot of work ahead of them, but feels like this is going to give the requisite kind of wind behind his own sails to march towards the championship,” reported ESPN’s Dave McMenamin on NBA Today.
Doncic, 27, just finished his first full season as a Laker, averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 47.6% shooting and 36.6% shooting from three. He put the Lakers on his back, lifting them to the fourth seed in the West at 53-29. But after losing in the second round of the playoffs, it became clear to both Luka and the Lakers that they needed to make upgrades to compete with the Thunder and Spurs.
More than anything, Luka’s big ask this summer was an elite rim-running center to contest the boards, catch lobs, and set the tone defensively. In response, GM Rob Pelinka made it a priority to add Walker Kessler to the roster. As a 7’2″ big man with career averages of 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game on 70.3% shooting from the field, he makes the perfect fit. Best of all, at just 24, he’s someone who could stick around for many years to come.
Beyond Walker, the Lakers beefed up their supporting cast by signing Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili in free agency, addressing key areas of need (on the wing and in the backcourt). In the draft, they selected shooting guard Cameron Carr, who has been lighting up the Summer League this year.
So while the Lakers may have lost LeBron James (and Rui Hachimura, among others), they believe they are in a position to compete as currently constructed. Only time will tell if they are right, but the important thing is that Luka believes in their progress, even though it required giving up most of their tradeable assets.
After giving up so much to land him, they can’t afford to lose him now and risk sending their franchise back into the dark ages. While their latest additions will ensure the Lakers stay relevant, it’s only just the start to maximizing their potential in the packed Western Conference. Doncic knows this better than anyone, and he’s ready to give whatever is required to return the Larry O’Brien trophy to Los Angeles.
