Over the course of the summer, amid ownership struggles, off-court drama, and major questions about what the team did to build a new roster around its franchise star, reports emerged hinting that Luka Doncic could end up leaving the Los Angeles Lakers when his current contract comes to an end.
Though he signed a new deal last summer and has only been with the Lakers since February of 2025, many around the NBA believe Doncic could leave Los Angeles should he not be surrounded by a title-contending team, and instead look elsewhere to capitalize on the prime of his career.
Now, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, it appears the Lakers now know the risk of that happening, and are doing everything possible to give their franchise star the best chance at success to keep him in town for the long haul.
Lakers Preparing For Luka Doncic Departure To Avoid Disaster Scenario
Speaking on the latest episode of his podcast, The Hoop Collective, Windhorst spoke about how the Lakers’ brass understand what they have in Doncic, and what they need to do if things don’t go to plan.
“This is extension zone, and I’m gonna tell you, the Lakers organization is very cognizant that they need to be in a good place with Luka at the end of the season so they can get him extended,” he said.
Doncic is reportedly eligible to sign a new contract next summer for roughly $417 million over five years. He is currently about to enter the first season of the three-year, $165 million deal he signed last summer, with a player option for 2028-29.
“The organization is aware, which is one of the reasons why they felt, I think, the need to make sure they went out and got him a center.”
In a recent poll by ESPN’s NBA reporters, four of 24 respondents said this will be Doncic’s last season with the Lakers, giving fans more worry that the team didn’t do enough to put a strong enough roster around its star.
Look no further than LeBron James. He left in free agency this summer after it quickly became evident the relationship between the star and franchise had run its course. That was previously unthinkable a few years ago, but it happened.
The same could happen with Doncic if the Lakers aren’t careful.
Los Angeles did make many big roster changes this offseason, but they’ve arrived with mixed reactions. It remains to be seen if what the team did this summer will be enough to turn them into a true championship contender in the Western Conference.
Potential Landing Spots For The NBA Superstar
As mentioned, the idea of Doncic leaving the Lakers isn’t new, and appeared to be prominent enough for one team writer to list the potential landing spots for the Slovenian, should he choose to leave town when his current contract ends, when he’s eligible to decide on his player option in 2028, or even before, should he ask for a trade to ensure Los Angeles gets something back in return.
“Trading Luka so soon after (his extension and the team’s offseason moves) would make no sense at all and represent a massive organizational failure. That said, in the spirit of devil’s advocate, here are a few scenarios that could theoretically lead to Luka requesting a trade, or (gasp!) the Lakers trading Luka of their own accord,” Colin Keane wrote for LakeShowLife.com.
Before naming the potential teams, Keane mentioned that missing the Play-In tournament, a failing team defense, the Walker Kessler trade going south, and new ownership not committing to its star are all (somewhat realistic) reasons why Doncic could leave as early as the end of next season on his own.
The teams he named were the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Golden State Warriors, giving relatively straightforward reasons why each would be reasonable new teams for Doncic.
Despite all of this, recent Lakers news, including quotes from general manager Rob Pelinka, head coach JJ Redick, and Doncic himself at media day, signals he has no plans of jumping ship anytime soon.
Still, Doncic was traded from the Mavericks in the middle of the night. The NBA is a brutal business, and even though the Slovenian might look happy, that’s no guarantee he’s finishing his career in the Purple and Gold, a scenario the Lakers are clearly trying to avoid.
Lakers ‘Aware’ Of Luka Doncic Departure Risk Before $417M Extension