The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the first full season of the Luka Doncic era. The superstar forward joined the franchise via trade around the February trade deadline.
During a recent discussion with Spectrum SportsNet’s Nikki Kay, Lakers legend Pau Gasol shared his thoughts on the dawn of the Doncic era.
âItâs great. Obviously, we were all thrilled, shocked and excited last season when the trade happened,” Gasol said. “Itâs great to have Luka in a Lakers uniform and having that anchor for the next many years to come. Super excited for the team. Let’s see how we can take advantage of the team right now and try to have another run at it.â
Gasol, a two-time champion with the Lakers, has remained a consistent and supportive voice around the franchise since his retirement. He will be familiar with Doncic’s game and will undoubtedly be on hand to offer advice when needed.
The Lakers spent the summer retooling the roster around Doncic and LeBron James. JJ Redick now has a deep and versatile group available to him. The hopes of winning a championship will undoubtedly be high, especially if Doncic and James can remain healthy throughout the campaign.
Luka Doncic Has Impressed At FIBA EuroBasket
Doncic is currently participating in FIBA’s EuroBasket tournament. The Lakers’ star forward has been impressive throughout the event. In his five outings for Slovenia, Doncic is averaging 35.4 points, 8.4 assists and 8 rebounds per game. He’s shooting the rock at a 59.2% clip from two-point range, too.
Slovenia has now qualified for the knockout phase of the tournament. They will face Italy in the last 16, with the winner set to face either Portugal or Germany in the quarter finals.
Doncic came into the EuroBasket tournament as one of the star players in the event. He has risen to the challenge and impressed at every turn. Lakers fans will undoubtedly be hoping he can have a similar impact for the Purple and Gold once the new NBA season gets underway in October.
LeBron James Unlikely to Leave The Lakers
James’ future with the Lakers has been a talking point all summer. The veteran superstar opted into his $52.6 million player option at the start of the offseason. However, there have been rumors that he could look to force a move before the February 2026 trade deadline.
However, Jared Greenberg of TNT, speaking via a recent episode of the âGood Word with Goodwillâ podcast, looked to squash those rumors and the overall narrative that James wants to play elsewhere.
âLeBron had the opportunity this summer to be a free agent and sign wherever he wanted,â Greenberg said. â⦠He didnât want to sign for the minimum, he did not want to give away his no-trade clause. ⦠Donât then be confused as to why heâs still a Laker.â
James will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. If he does decide to leave the Lakers, that will likely be when he chooses to do so. However, depending on how the upcoming season goes, he could opt to stay in Los Angeles or potentially call time on his NBA career.
Regardless of what the future holds, both Doncic and James will have huge roles to play in the Lakers’ push for a championship this season.
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