The Los Angeles Lakers are clearly planning their future around generational superstar Luka Doncic. Ever since they acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks, the torch has been passed from LeBron James to Doncic as the face of the future.
James has been a hot topic of conversation around the NBA over the last week or two. It is clear that the two sides are not on the same page and that the Lakers would rather move on from him.
His contract will make moving on from him difficult. James is owed over $52.6 million for the upcoming season and is closing in on retirement. There is also no move that makes sense for Los Angeles when it comes to the team’s future plans.
What are those future plans? How do the Lakers plan on building around Doncic long-term?
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A new report has shared a vision that would include Los Angeles finding a way to bring in Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic to play alongside Doncic.
Anthony Irwin, an NBA insider for ClutchPoints, has reported that the Lakers are looking to pair Doncic with either Jokic or Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“There’s also no trade James would accept that would benefit the Lakers and fit their parameters as they look to pair Luka Doncic with either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic,” Irwin wrote
Jokic and Doncic are known to be close friends. Both would have a strong interest in playing with each other at some point in their NBA futures. Being able to accomplish that goal while playing for a storied franchise like Los Angeles would be a dream come true.
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Thinking about Jokic joining forces with Doncic on the Lakers is crazy to imagine. However, the two playing together would give Los Angeles a very legitimate chance to bring another championship to the franchise.
Doncic is coming off of a 2024-25 NBA season that saw him average 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Jokic, on the other hand, averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
While the Lakers clearly have dreams of pairing Doncic and either Jokic or Antetokounmpo, that won’t be easy to turn into a reality. That being said, it’s something to monitor closely moving into the future.
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