The Dallas Mavericks have indeed unleashed the beast. Call this a villain arc or a redemption arc, but Luka Doncic is on a mission. A workout-filled holiday in Croatia, 31 pounds off his body, and a EuroBasket 2025 run later, the Slovenian Sensation is finally in his offseason. He’s not the “fat Luka” anymore. Lean. Motivated. Hungry for an NBA title. That’s the Doncic Nico Harrison gave away to the Los Angeles Lakers.
He called his manager, Lara Beth Seager, just a day after the Minnesota Timberwolves knocked the Lakers out of the 2025 Playoffs. What did Luka have on his mind? “This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better,” he explained to Men’s Health Magazine. “If I stop now, it was all for nothing.” That was the motivation.
“Putting aside the merits of the trade, you could argue that it was a bit of a kick in the a– to Luka,” Adam Silver, the NBA’s commissioner, told Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal. “He didn’t try to sugarcoat this trade.” Do you remember that interview Doncic had with ESPN’s Malika Andrews? Well, he told her that he threw his phone away, cracked its glass when he found out that the Mavericks were trading him away. He was sad. And he didn’t know what or why everything happened.
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Meanwhile, when Doncic returned to the American Airlines Center on April 9, he cried. The Jumbotron played a tribute video. He surely ended the night with a 45-point game and a win, but those tears told a different story. They meant that he wanted to stay with the Mavericks forever, exactly like Dirk Nowitzki. Meanwhile, Silver, with admiration added, “Another player could have said, ‘Oh, now I’m part of the Los Angeles Lakers organization’. He didn’t try to hide his disappointment.”
Continuing, the commissioner said, “And I think he was in a bit of a funk for a while, because it was probably the first true professional setback of his career. And I was hoping personally for him that he would ultimately see this as an opportunity to reset.” Thus, speaking of reset, while spending time in Croatia, the 26-year-old carried weights by plane, endured brutal double sessions, and mixed band routines with Romanian lifts. Moreover, his meals followed a strict plan free of gluten and sugar while giving him 250 grams of protein each day. That meant two protein-heavy plates and one shake with almond milk, all arranged carefully around his fasted training.
Most importantly, Luka Doncic isn’t resetting physically alone. His stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, and a very happening summer for the franchise, is narrating a never-heard-before tale. There seems to be a win-now emergency. Rob Pelinka and Co. see their future in Luka and with Luka. And therefore they’re going all-out, and how!
Luka Doncic’s $165 million extension and the win-it-all mindset with the LA Lakers
Days after Glow Up, Luka landed in the United States dressed like a prom king at the end of a fairy tale movie, and he signed a three-year, $165 million deal. It kept him with the LA Lakers and set him up for an even bigger fortune ahead. That evening, the club took Doncic to Las Vegas for a Backstreet Boys show, where someone posted a picture from backstage, and once more the internet erupted: Dang, look at Luka. Call it a restart, a new page, call it whatever. Luka Doncic already had a name for it. “A fresh start,” he declared.
And now, Doncic wants to strengthen the floor around him. He missed out on winning the championship in 2024. However, the 2025-26 season comes with a new spark. A fresh speck of hope, if you will. And that is why the Lakers front office is pushing for a wing expansion. After adding Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia, they are seemingly chasing for Miami Heat’s Andrew Wiggins. Most importantly, insider Jovan Buha believes that Luka is applying some pressure or at least making it known that he wants an upgrade on the wings.
But the Lakers face a tricky call with Wiggins. Buha doubts Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, and Gabe Vincent alone could land him without a future pick. Meanwhile, Wiggs’ $28.2 million salary adds weight. The front office admires his skill yet questions his fit beside Luka long-term. Therefore, Miami’s heavy demand forces LA to balance cost, depth, and financial freedom. And first-round picks? Well, Pelinka might not be ready to give them up easily.
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Heartbreak turned into hunger, sweat turned into swagger, and Los Angeles turned into Luka Doncic’s stage. The Lakers know the clock is ticking, so every move feels urgent, every choice magnified. And while the front office debates risks and rewards, Luka looks ready to write the wildest chapter yet.