The Los Angeles Lakers‘ future is a bit in flux right now. LeBron James plans to play this season, but he may want to get traded.
If he stays put, this is likely his last year with the Lakers. It’s logical for both sides to move on. James is going to turn 41 during the season, and Los Angeles needs to start building around Luka Doncic, who is much younger.
However, Doncic is going to need a star running mate at some point. It’s no secret that Doncic is very close with Denver Nuggets superstar and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
While there’s been little indication that Jokic wants out of Denver, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus floated the idea that the Lakers are planning to move on from the James era in an effort to go after Jokic in 2027, when he has a chance to become a free agent.
“Given that he can opt out after 2026-27, the threat of finishing out his contract and leaving for the Lakers (who theoretically would have the spending power in 2027 to sign him outright as a free agent, leaving Denver with nothing) is why there’s a 2027 plan at all,” Pincus wrote.
“The hope is that Jokić’s undeniable bond with Dončić is why he picks the Lakers. Denver would get most of what the Lakers have in terms of young players and draft compensation. Austin Reaves has a low enough cap hold as a free agent. L.A. could absorb Jokić into cap room, pay Reaves over $30 million a season, while retaining Dončić, who may extend with the Lakers when eligible in August.”
Nuggets Could Target Doncic
Jokic on the Lakers would be a massive for the NBA, and it’s hard to see any team beating him and Doncic in a seven-game series. However, the Nuggets could be thinking the same thing, according to Pincus.
“The Nuggets recently hired former Dallas Mavericks guard JJ Barea as an assistant coach,” Pincus wrote. “He earned the position on many levels, but he is also close with Dončić—just as Dorian Finney-Smith was —and the Lakers didn’t show him the same respect this summer by not offering him a contract to surpass what the Houston Rockets were willing to give.
“The Nuggets may not have as many titles as the Lakers, but the basketball attraction between Dončić and Jokić as teammates works both ways. Denver may not have the draft compensation now to make that kind of deal, but in a couple of years, perhaps they will find a way to stock up.”
If Doncic signs an extension this offseason, this won’t be a concern for the Lakers, but if he doesn’t, then they might get nervous about him possibly heading to Denver.
Would Jokic Really Consider a Move?
European NBA superstars rarely leave their teams on their own volition. Even when Doncic got traded, he was completely blindsided.
Jokic seems happy in Denver, and the bright lights of Los Angeles might not be very appealing to him. That said, the allure of winning championships with Doncic could prove very strong. The next couple of years are very important for the Nuggets. If they continue to lose in the playoffs, he may consider a change.
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