The Los Angeles Lakers' season ended on a rather bleak note, with a Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and an immediate flood of questions surrounding the future of LeBron James.
It's unclear how exactly the next few years will unfold in L.A., but one thing is clear: Luka Dončić is there for the long run. At the end of the day, that is all that really matters.
Dončić has made it clear his intention is to finish his career in a Lakers uniform. He previously expressed that same desire with the Dallas Mavericks, but Nico Harrison dealt him away for Anthony Davis and pocket change in what remains one of the most ludicrous and indefensible decisions in NBA front office history.
Los Angeles' new 26-year-old superstar is "fully committed" to the Lakers, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
"His heart was broken, but he's fully committed to the Lakers. His goal now is to win championships with that franchise."
Luka Doncic is ‘fully committed’ to the Lakers, per @espn_macmahon
— SleeperHoops (@Sleeper_Hoops) May 5, 2025
"His heart was broken, but he's fully committed to the Lakers. His goal now is to win championships with that franchise." pic.twitter.com/phLeIs96tO
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Luka Dončić is 100 percent committed to finishing career with Lakers — even after first round exit
Dončić is eligible for an extension this summer. There are several financial factors at play, but MacMahon believes the Lakers and Dončić will get something across the finish line before the offseason is out.
"I would be shocked if there’s not some sort of extension this summer," he said on The Dan Patrick Show (h/t Yahoo Sports). "There’s a lot of factors. I don’t want to bog you down with CBA minutia and all that kind of stuff, but what I know of Luka, and I haven’t talked to him directly about this, but talking to people who know Luka well, I think he’s fully committed to L.A. now."
This was inevitable, Dončić has never been the type to rock the boat or ask out of a situation. And, if he ever did entertain leaving the Mavericks, all assumptions pointed to a glamorous, marquee market like Los Angeles. The Lakers have been a bastion for star-power throughout NBA history and Dončić figures to author his own extensive chapter in the legacy of basketball's most important franchise.
It is worth repeating that Dončić is 26 years old. TWENTY-SIX. He was traded for 31-year-old Anthony Davis, whose own injury history clouds whatever ridiculous concerns the Mavs front office once harbored. Trading Dončić for a mountain of future picks and valuable assets would have been its own sort of unforced error, but Dallas did not even entertain trades behind the needlessly simple package L.A. offered up.
This was a stroke of profound, cosmic luck for the Lakers franchise, which feels all too common for the folks in purple and gold. This season outlined some of the flaws Dončić has — he's not a perfect player — but this was never a fully formed roster around him. The Lakers will be on the lookout for playable centers in free agency and on the trade front, while LeBron's eventual retirement will only open the door for another star to join Dončić in Hollywood a few years down the line.
The Wolves series was ugly. Dončić looked beaten down and out of shape, which is hardly a shock considering he spent the majority of this season recovering from lower-leg injuries. But, do not be fooled. This was a home run addition for the Lakers and it's set to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.