WHAT'S HAPPENING: The LAKERS send Luka DONCIC to the SPURS to pair with Victor WEMBANYAMA.
Luka Doncic during the Western Conference playoffs.
When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, it shocked the NBA world. From Los Angeles’ perspective, moving Anthony Davis and more for Doncic made plenty of sense. Not only does he help them in the short term, but the Lakers now have their long-term star.
Los Angeles remains a marquee destination in free agency. While the Lakers haven’t exactly won in free agency in recent years, having the ability to pair Doncic with another star should be intriguing whenever LeBron James decides to hang them up.
Despite that reality, some believe that Doncic doesn’t have much of a reason to stay in Los Angeles, including Jahlil Williams of Air Alamo, who believes that the San Antonio Spurs should trade for him.
“I’m not sure why Luka Doncic would want to stick around in LA after the recent stream of reports we’ve seen lately. In recent news, the Lakers’ third-best player, Austin Reaves, may not be sticking around after next season. If they’re going to lose some of their best players over the next year, there’s no reason for the Slovenian savant to put down roots…
“Bron is now over 40 years old, and he’s expected to opt into the last year of his contract,” he wrote. “That could be a signal that he’s considering retiring or moving on after the season. That means Luka would be losing his numbers two and three, so what does that leave him with to compete?”
Would Doncic Leave the Lakers?
The San Antonio Spurs trading for Doncic would be surprising, given where the Los Angeles Lakers stand as an organization. Unless they were blown away with an offer, there’s no reason to even consider moving on from the MVP candidate.
However, pairing him with Victor Wembanyama would be exciting for all NBA fans.
But despite some of the noise about Doncic not loving Los Angeles, he quieted those recently. He said that he loves everything about the Lakers, and that playing by an ocean is something he enjoys.
“Well first of all, this is the first city I’ve played in that has an ocean, and I really like the ocean. First thing, I mean, after a couple days, that was the first thing on my mind, you know. It’s a lot. I like it, I like it very much. The only thing is the traffic,” Doncic said, per Lakers Nation.
Doncic Should Want to Stick with LeBron
Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers also allows Doncic to be with arguably the greatest player in NBA history, LeBron James.
James has done everything that any player in the history of the game could want to accomplish, but there are more reasons than just that for him to be somebody Doncic intends to continue to play with. James takes very good care of his body, something Doncic should be taking note of.
“I mean, it’s great. You see, I’ve never played with a guy like this and just being traded to here to L.A., it was different. But, just to play with guys like him, it’s unbelievable. I could learn so many stuff, first of all off the court, all the things he does just to be ready for the game. And obviously, everybody knows what kind of player he is.”