The Los Angeles Lakers have spent much of the past decade trying to squeeze one more championship run out of LeBron James. That approach delivered a title in 2020, but it also produced an aging roster, a revolving door of supporting players and several seasons that felt more like celebrity events than serious championship pursuits.
James is now with the Philadelphia 76ers. Luka Doncic remains in Los Angeles, and the Lakers have been handed the type of opportunity most franchises spend decades chasing.
Doncic is only 27, already owns two scoring titles and has proven he can carry a team through the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers do not need to search for their next superstar. They have him. Their responsibility now is to stop thinking like a team caught between eras and build entirely around the player who can define their next one.
Lakers have started giving Luka Doncic what he needs
Los Angeles has already made several sensible moves. Walker Kessler supplies the rim protection and vertical threat the Lakers lacked, while Austin Reaves remains an effective secondary creator who can punish defenses for sending too much attention toward Doncic.
The additions of Matisse Thybulle and Quentin Grimes should improve the perimeter defense. Collin Sexton provides another aggressive scorer, and veterans such as Kevon Looney can handle the less glamorous work that championship teams still require. Apparently, setting screens and fighting for rebounds remain legal despite the modern NBA’s best efforts.
Those additions make the Lakers younger, deeper and better equipped to play around Doncic.
Los Angeles has reportedly explored a deal for Jonathan Kumingaa 23-year-old forward whose athleticism and transition ability would give this roster another dimension. Kuminga is not a flawless player, but the Lakers should continue pursuing younger talent with enough upside to grow alongside Doncic.
Los Angeles needs defenders capable of surviving when Doncic is targeted, shooters who prevent opponents from crowding the paint and athletic finishers who can convert his passing into easy points. Doncic can manufacture an elite offense. The Lakers must supply the balance.
Lakers cannot treat this as a rebuilding project
There is no reason to spend several seasons evaluating whether Doncic can become the face of the franchise. He has already produced historic scoring performances in a Lakers uniform and signed an extension that gives Los Angeles a valuable window to prove it can construct a winner around him.
The Lakers should not recklessly trade every draft pick for the first recognizable name who becomes available. They have tried that routine before, usually followed by an awkward press conference and a veteran who suddenly forgets how to shoot. Still, patience cannot become an excuse for settling.
Doncic is entering the heart of his prime. Reaves is 28. Kessler is young enough to become a long-term fixture at center. Los Angeles has the beginning of a foundation, along with the appeal that has always allowed the franchise to attract players other teams could only dream about landing.
The Lakers’ greatest eras were built around superstars capable of carrying the weight of the franchise. George Mikan, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and James each brought Los Angeles back to the sport’s biggest stage.
Doncic has the ability to become the next name in that line. The Lakers were fortunate enough to receive him without surrendering their entire future. Now comes the harder part.
They must give him a roster capable of bringing the franchise back to where it expects to be, not merely one good enough to hang another postseason participation banner that nobody in Los Angeles wants.
Comments are closed.