Magic tells Doncic the one big difference between Mavericks and Lakers: “It’s great what you did in Dallas, but...”

Luka Doncic’s arrival in Los Angeles on February 1 sent shockwaves through the NBA. The Slovenian star left behind the Mavericks – whom he had led to the Finals just a year earlier – to bolster a Lakers team that’s always in the title conversation. He made his debut for the California franchise on February 10 and in his 28 games in purple and gold, averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists. The Lakers finished the regular season third in the West (50-32) but made a quick playoff exit, falling in five games (4-1) to the Timberwolves. Season over – time to start thinking about the next one.

Expectations higher in LA

Doncic is already gearing up for what will be his eighth NBA season and his first full campaign as a Laker, knowing the expectations are different in Los Angeles. “It’s great what you did in Dallas, but the difference is that in LA, we expect championships,” said franchise legend Magic Johnson in a pointed message on ESPN. “We expect our superstars to lead us to them. LeBron already did. Now we want Luka to do the same.” He added that success won’t depend solely on the Slovenian, and issued a challenge to new head coach JJ Redick: “We’ve got to play faster. Right now the Lakers are too slow. And if they don’t improve defensively, they won’t win titles.”

Doncic is under contract for one more year, with a player option for the 2026-27 season. What happens after that remains to be seen. He has several paths open to him: he could sign the maximum deal available to players who were traded ($228.6 million over four years), agree to a three-year extension worth $165.2 million before becoming eligible for a five-year, $417.6 million deal from 2028 to 2033 after reaching 10 years of service, or wait until 2026 and become an unrestricted free agent.

Chasing Celtics

What is certain is that Doncic will be back in a Lakers jersey next season – and, barring any surprises, so will LeBron James. According to Shams Charania, LeBron is set to exercise his player option to stay with the team for 2025-26. The duo will begin the season side by side, this time from day one, and with an extra layer of pressure: chasing the Celtics by bringing home the Lakers’ 18th championship ring.

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