ESPN: Lakers Plan to Build Around Luka Doncic [Video]

Monday is here, and the late-night trade on Saturday that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers is still fresh. Luka arrived in Los Angeles last night, while the Dallas Mavericks were blown out in Cleveland 144-101 with only ten players available.

VIDEO

People are amazed that the Los Angeles Lakers have found their star of the future in 25-year-old Luka Dončić, highlighting the progressive moves the team is making for the post-LeBron era. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reinforced this shift, emphasizing that the Lakers are now building around Dončić.

“Everything the Lakers will do going forward will be about number 77,” Windhorst said. “They are now Luka Dončić’s team.”

He also noted that both teams will be making additional moves before the trade deadline, which will reveal how committed they are to both this season and the long-term future built around their respective stars.

Windhorst dismissed the idea that the Lakers are in a better position after the trade, calling it laughable. He pointed out the odds shift—the Lakers’ championship odds improving from 40-1 to 16-1, while the Mavericks’ odds worsened from 25-1 to 33-1—as confusing.

“That’s insane. The Lakers’ roster is completely off now; they don’t have a big man. Thinking they’re a better team now—that’s an insane position.”

The Lakers are hoping LeBron James can mentor Dončić, helping him develop into a more disciplined leader on and off the court.

However, some question whether Dončić, now in his seventh season, is set in his ways. NBA marketer and Move-In-Soles co-owner Nate Jones raised an interesting point: “How do we know Luka isn’t stuck in his ways and can turn it around? At 25, he has time in terms of longevity, but does his mentality change?”

I think the idea that LeBron is going to heavily influence Luka is a little off. Luka is his own strong-willed person and is in his 7th season in the NBA, with over a decade as a pro. Jokic is his friend and he doesn’t follow the same conditioning practices as him.

— Nate Jones (@JonesOnTheNBA) February 3, 2025