All articles tagged with #luka doncic
NBA insider Ric Bucher says the Lakers prepared to move on from LeBron James long before trading for Luka Doncic, arguing LeBron’s leverage has faded and the team is rebuilding around Doncic, with several signings and moves signaling the shift.
This opinion piece argues that Luka Doncic could return to the Mavericks in 2028 after a stint with the Lakers. It ties the potential reunion to the Lakers’ roster shake-up and LeBron-era uncertainty, Doncic’s aging-prime window, and Dallas’s anticipated rebuild around a young core (including Cooper Flagg). While speculative and lacking concrete smoke, the piece outlines a plausible path for a Dallas homecoming once the current regime is gone and the team is ready to chase championships with Doncic back in the fold.
Post‑LeBron, the Lakers push a Luka Doncic–centered rebuild, signing Walker Kessler to a four‑year, $130 million deal and adding Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili to form a Mavericks‑style supporting cast, with Deandre Ayton back and LeBron weighing his options as free agency opens amid ongoing trade chatter.
Austin Reaves signed a four-year, $185 million extension with the Lakers after a tense free-agent period, staying in L.A. and positioning himself as a core piece alongside Luka Dončić. The deal came amid interest from the Pistons and Nets; Reaves’ strong 2025-26 season (23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists in 51 games) underscored his value, and the Lakers aim to build a championship-contending roster with cap space to add more talent around him and Dončić.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlines the 2025-26 All-NBA selections with Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham on the First Team; Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant and Jalen Brunson are on the Second Team; Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey and Jamal Murray compose the Third Team. Durant adds to his historic All-NBA résumé, while Dončić and Cunningham were granted eligibility under the NBA/NBA PA extraordinary circumstances provision after initially missing the 65-game threshold.
LeBron James says he will wait into late June/July to decide whether to return to the NBA after free agency, weighing his family's views and a Lakers plan to retool around Luka Dončić; the Lakers want him back, but a roster rethink could influence his choice among offers from teams like the Warriors, Cavaliers and Knicks as he pursues another title.
Former Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd was fired as Mavericks head coach, prompting former teammate Michael Carter-Williams to post on X that “truth always prevails.” Carter-Williams described a strained off-court relationship with Kidd and said he couldn’t see the game the way Kidd did. Kidd finished with a 388-395 coaching record across the Bucks, Mavericks and Nets, as Dallas went 26-56 this season. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted Kidd’s frustration with Luka Dončić’s conditioning was well known before Dončić’s Feb. 2025 trade to the Lakers. Carter-Williams, the 2013-14 Rookie of the Year, concluded his career with averages around 10.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game (and 4.3 assists) across 2013-23.
After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to 24 points on 7-for-23 shooting in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, fans lit up social media with a -35.6 net on-off rating statistic and sparked Luka Dončić–style comparisons, with some calling SGA MVP while others doubted his value. Despite a strong postseason stat line (around 28.6 ppg, 7.7 apg, 3.0 rpg), his 3-point struggles remain a concern as OKC faces Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs; Game 2 is set for later.
Dallas mutually parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd after five seasons, with four years left on his contract, as new president Masai Ujiri starts a thorough search for the next coach. Kidd’s tenure produced an inconsistent 205-205 record with three missed playoffs and a 26-56 finish in 2025-26, though Dallas advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals and 2022 Western Conference Finals. The Mavericks also traded Luka Dončić to the Lakers in 2024-25, and Cooper Flagg—the 2025 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year—is expected to anchor Dallas’s next chapter.
LeBron James spent a season as a third option behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, missed Opening Night due to injury, and felt undervalued when Rob Pelinka handed the game ball to JJ Redick after a milestone win. Despite the tension, there’s mutual interest in his return next season, and the Lakers showed they can contend when he embraced the third-option role, leaving a pivotal offseason with several moving parts.
Despite major injuries to LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves at various points, the Lakers finished 53-29 (their best since 2010-11), swept the first round, and were eliminated by the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. The season earns an overall A-: Doncic led the league in scoring, LeBron adapted through multiple roles, Reaves posted a career year, and players like Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes provided key contributions, with head coach JJ Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka earning praise for navigating a challenging campaign.
At his season-ending press conference, Lakers president Rob Pelinka said LeBron James would be welcome to re-sign if he chooses free agency, and expressed strong interest in keeping Austin Reaves; coach JJ Redick emphasized preserving a LeBron–Reaves–Doncic core while boosting defense and depth. Pelinka also outlined a plan to retrofit the roster around Luka Doncic’s needs and said the team will hire two new assistant general managers to strengthen pro/draft scouting, player development, analytics, and salary-cap strategy.
The Lakers reportedly plan to be aggressive on the trade market this offseason to optimize a roster around Luka Doncic, acknowledging that free agency alone won’t solve all their issues; with cap space and multiple first‑round picks, they aim to add a starting center and a two‑way wing, using trades to complement any free‑agent acquisitions.
At Lakers exit interviews, the team signaled it wants LeBron James and Austin Reaves to return next season to team up with Luka Dončić, with James weighing whether to play another year or retire and Reaves opting out of his $14.8 million contract; Pelinka said the organization intends to honor James and keep Reaves, while continuing to build around Dončić, who led the league in scoring and signed a three-year, $165 million extension last summer.
The Lakers would love to bring back LeBron James, but their primary offseason goal is to retrofit the roster around Luka Dončić, including pursuing Austin Reaves’ re-signing and adding two-way wings and shooting. Coach Rob Pelinka indicated LeBron’s next steps will be honored if he chooses to play another season, while the franchise plans to hire two assistant general managers, renovate the practice facility, and explore potential Giannis trade scenarios as part of a broader Luka-centric rebuild.