Lakers' Luka Doncic future in LA not certain as Nuggets' Nikola Jokic faces similar situation originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers have had quite the offseason, making significant changes to the roster. However, they still have some work to do before the team is completely finalized.
The summer became even more interesting a little over a week ago when the franchise was sold to another ownership group for a record-breaking price.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, a record-breaking price, multiple sources told ESPN. The businessmen were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but in a stunning turn, they pivoted to make an aggressive offer to buy the Lakers from Mark Walter, who purchased a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family last year for a then-record franchise valuation of approximately $10 billion,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne wrote.
Shortly after the sale was announced, Luka Doncic made his stance on the situation clear.
“Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA. I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together,” Doncic posted.
However, there is still a potential problem: Doncic is not locked into a long-term contract with the Lakers. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes the lack of a long-term commitment leaves the door open for Doncic to potentially move on if the organization continues to undergo major changes.
“[Nikola Jokic] can profess his loyalty to the [Denver] Nuggets, there's still going to be teams that are positioning themselves and monitoring that. ... It's the same thing with Luka. He's done nothing but express optimism and excitement ... but it's not that long-term of an extension,” MacMahon said.
Jokic and Doncic are in somewhat similar situations as both stars have expressed their commitment to their current teams while remaining on contracts that do not completely eliminate questions about their long-term futures.
Doncic has enjoyed his time in Los Angeles so far, but continued organizational changes could eventually lead to a different outlook. If the Lakers continue to change ownership structures or take the roster in a direction Doncic does not agree with, his long-term future in LA could become a bigger question.
For now, Doncic remains the centerpiece of the Lakers, but the situation is worth monitoring. Just like Jokic in Denver, his loyalty to the franchise does not necessarily mean other teams will stop positioning themselves in case an opportunity becomes available.
More NBA news:
- Rockets predicted to trade for $364M ex-Lakers NBA champion, future HOF to pair with Kevin Durant
- Lakers could swap Jaden Hardy for $46M ex-Warriors NBA champion to pair with Luka Doncic
- Heat's Bam Adebayo was in talks with $305M future Hall of Famer before signing Klay Thompson
- Lakers predicted to part ways with $18M former first-round blunder after disappointing tenure
Leave a Comment