The Los Angeles Lakers could have went in a number of different directions this offseason, but the one they chose has garnered a lot of criticism nationally.
All that matters though is if Luka Doncic is happy with what they’ve done, and according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, he seems to be excited:
According to league sources, Luka Doncic was “excited” about the Lakers’ signings, with the team addressing his biggest desires for the roster by keeping Austin Reaves and getting an elite rim-protecting center in Kessler.
Those sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been completed, said the Lakers kept in regular communication with Doncic and his team despite a significant time gap, with the star guard spending his summer in Europe.
Doncic made it clear to the Lakers at the start of the offseason that he wanted to play with an “A-list” center, so the team used all of its available trade assets to acquire Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz. The Lakers signed Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract and while it may seem like they gave up a lot to get him, he is unquestionably a great fit with Doncic.
The Lakers also brought back Austin Reaves on a max contract to give Doncic his long-term running mate in the backcourt. The organization is hoping that trio will be the core of their next championship squad.
It takes more than just three players to win a title though, and the Lakers used the rest of their cap space to bring in Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton.
Grimes, in particular, is a signing Doncic has to be happy with as the former Dallas Mavericks castoffs remain very close. He will give the Lakers a third scoring option and also some much-needed perimeter defense.
While it remains to be seen how things will play out on the court, the Lakers clearly kept Doncic in the loop all offseason as they built a roster that is designed to give him a chance to compete. While it may take some more time to get the auxiliary pieces around them, the Lakers got Doncic a running mate and a center, which is exactly what he asked for.
Luka Doncic bids farewell to LeBron James
This offseason signaled a shift for the Lakers organization as they let LeBron James walk in free agency in order to shift their timeline to Doncic.
With his co-star expected to play elsewhere next season, Doncic took to social media to bid farewell to James and express his appreciation for the year-and-a-half they spent as teammates.
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