The future of the Los Angeles Lakers changed dramatically when the Dallas Mavericks unexpectedly traded them 26-year-old superstar Luka Doncic for 32-year-old Anthony Davis. Suddenly, the Lakers went from a veteran team built around 40-year-old LeBron James at the tail end of his career to a squad centered around Doncic entering his prime.
Now, Doncic is signed through 2028, James is in the last year of his deal and the Lakers signed Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart after their old teams bought them out. They also signed Jake LaRavia, but this team is going to go as far as their May-December superstar duo can take them.
Here are three big questions the Lakers face as they embark on the first full season of the Doncic era.
1. Can Luka Doncic remain lean and mean all season?
Doncic went from having Dallas Mavericks executives criticizing his fitness in February to appearing on the cover of Men’s Health this summer. At Eurobasket, a visibly slimmer Doncic led an under talented Slovenian team to the quarterfinals and averaged 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists.
But it’s easier to get in fantastic shape during the summer, when a player’s only job is to work out and eat well. It’s harder to stay that way during the packed NBA schedule when teams often don’t have time to practice.
Even before his body transformation, Doncic was good enough to make five straight All-NBA first teams. But he was somewhat prone to injury, partly due to his physical style of play and likely partly due to carrying some extra pounds. Doncic looks like he could be poised for an MVP season — if his new body, diet and work ethic are for real.
2. How much can they rely on Deandre Ayton?
In his seven-year NBA career, Ayton has averaged 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds. He was the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 and the starting center on a Phoenix Suns team that was two games away from a title in 2021.
He also got benched in their playoff loss in 2022, signed a contract with Phoenix that seemed to disappoint both sides, then got traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he had issues with tardiness and behavior and once missed games because roads were too icy. The Blazers decided they’d rather pay him tens of millions of dollars not to play.
Ayton has a chance to rebuild his career with Doncic, who thrives with a center who can catch lobs. He can go far in the playoffs and earn another big contract. But he has to actually care about basketball, show up on time and give maximum effort.
3. Is this the end for LeBron James in Los Angeles?
For the first time since joining the Lakers seven years ago, James has only one year left on his contract. At age 40, he only signed a one-year deal with the Lakers and for the first time in his 22-year career, he’s not his team’s top priority.
James might not be happy that the Lakers have catered to Doncic in a way they didn’t with him. They almost traded for center Mark Williams after the Doncic trade, while James had been lobbying for a center for months, then signed Ayton, who shares an agent with James.
But Doncic also gives James his best chance at a fifth championship ring. And while James might not be perfectly happy, he’s never failed to give full effort on the court. Our guess is that James adjusts to his new running mate and comes back to the Lakers next season as well.
