The Los Angeles Lakers’ first season with Luka Doncic at the helm came to an unceremonious end on Wednesday night, losing in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves to get eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive season. As a whole, the Lakers are now 2-12 in their last 14 playoff games.
But unlike previous exits, the future feels significantly brighter because of Doncic. After the trade deadline, the Lakers were not supposed to be a championship contending team. They built their roster on the fly after making the blockbuster trade and did not have any quality centers or significant depth. This offseason will be pivotal, as next year was commonly seen as the first real contention year for Luka in L.A.
And one of the biggest questions of the offseason is whether or not Doncic will sign a four-year max extension with the Lakers when he becomes eligible in August. At his exit interview, Luka was asked about the extension and if he’s given any thought to signing it.
“I didn’t think about it yet. I’ve been focused on basketball, so obviously this is the time to think about everything,” Doncic said.
This makes sense, as there’s no real need for Luka to have thought about the extension so long before being eligible while being focused on winning games with a brand new team. But he ensured everyone that he’s had a remarkable time as a member of the Lakers thus far.
“It’s been great, honestly. The way the fans accepted me has been amazing,” Doncic said. “I’m glad I’m here, I had a great couple of months … trying to learn about the city, about the team, just trying to process everything.”
It feels more likely than not that Doncic signs his four-year extension this offseason, if only because he has already lost out on his supermax contract after being traded, and there isn’t significant financial incentive to wait until the summer of 2026 when he can become an unrestricted free agent.
The beginning of the Doncic era in Los Angeles obviously did not have the best ending. But the best times with Luka at the helm very clearly appear to be ahead.
Lakers’ LeBron James noncommittal about future
The other Lakers superstar, LeBron James, naturally faced questions about potential retirement after concluding his 22nd NBA season.
Following elimination, James remained noncommittal about playing next season and said he would take time to discuss his future with his inner circle.
“I don’t know. I don’t have the answer to that,” he said when asked about his future. “I’ll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group, and kind of just talk through it, and see what happens. Have conversations with myself on how long I want to continue to play. I don’t know the answer to that right now to be honest. We’ll see.”
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