LeBron James made the headlines on Tuesday when he informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he was going to leave. With James out, Luka Doncic has the keys to L.A. But NBA fans know the fanbase not just asks for championships, but demands championships.
With Doncic calling on the organization to get a tier-one big man and James leaving, there are plenty of questions as to what Doncic's future will actually hold. Deandre Ayton was the starting big man last year, but it's clear Doncic wants someone different.
Are the keys in this case worth it, though? Doncic is now with Austin Reaves for one of the best one-two guard combos in the NBA. But this Lakers team going forward has a lot of questions, and Doncic may get irritated more than happy in Los Angeles very quickly.
The future of Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart is up in the air, and Smart is one of the best wing defenders in the game. Doncic was traded because Nico Harrison didn't initially trust his conditioning habits. As silly as it first sounded, Doncic needs to rely on defenders, and there's still a case for him to stay with L.A. or return to Dallas.
Why Luka Doncic staying with the Lakers makes sense
The Lakers-Mavericks trade cost Doncic a supermax deal. He will once again be eligible for a supermax until 2028, when he can get a five-year, $417 million deal. Unfortunately, the Lakers are the only team that can pay Doncic that. That's one disadvantage the Mavs have against them.
He's the Lakers' No. 1 option now, and along with Reaves, they can run L.A. for the next few years, and the Lakers are always the franchise that brings in big players.
But once again, Doncic wants an A1 big man, and he will have multiple trade deadlines and free agents to do that with. They don't have to rush to get their guy, but the Lakers are always in "win-now" mode.
Why Luka Doncic reuniting with Dallas makes sense
Doncic returning to Dallas has been on everyone's mind since February 2, 2025.
The "El Niño Maravilla" was arguably the face of the city, and he was ripped away with fans scheduling funerals outside of Victory Park. The "Fire Nico" chants were one thing, but firing him proved that Harrison made a colossal mistake. The city wants him back, and Doncic may be one to turn down a supermax deal to come back to Dallas.
I strongly believe that Dallas is the only other team that's on Doncic's radar, as well as Mavs legend and current local color announcer, Derek Harper. We all saw him sob with pure emotion when his tribute video was played inside American Airlines Center in his first game back in Dallas.
Every time he has talked about the city, he's had nothing but great things to say. It's easy for someone to turn the other way and hate Dallas after getting backstabbed by their own general manager. Luckily, Harrison isn't there anymore, and Dusty May would no doubt love to have Doncic by his side.
Either way, Mavs fans, you should still mark your calendars for the summer of 2028.
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