The Los Angeles Lakers are fully focused on building their future around generational superstar Luka Doncic. After pulling off a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks to get him ahead of the trade deadline last year, Doncic has taken over for LeBron James as the team’s franchise player.
While Doncic is the piece that the Lakers would like to build around long-term, they still need to get him signed long-term.
Doncic currently has one more year and a player option left on a second year when it comes to his deal. Los Angeles will need to get a major extension done with him at some point in the near future.
Keeping that in mind, there is another team who seems to have a long-term goal of stealing Doncic away from the Lakers. That team is the Denver Nuggets.
Read more: Report: Lakers Looking to Pair Luka Doncic With Nikola Jokic
According to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, one Western Conference executive has issued a major warning regarding Doncic to Los Angeles.
“The Lakers have to be careful,” a West executive told ClutchPoints. “Luka just got his butt kicked by a team he handled easily last year and now they’re telling him to wait another year before he can really compete. If Denver wins it all or comes close while Rob makes it clear he doesn’t believe in Luka and LeBron as a combo, they could be a real threat for him this next season or two.”
Of course, Doncic is known to be close friends with Nikola Jokic. While the Lakers seem to have interest in pursuing Jokic in the future, the Nuggets would like to pair Doncic with Jokic in Denver.
Irwin also mentioned the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Clippers as teams who seem to be preparing for a near future run at a superstar.
Read more: LeBron James’ NBA Future Gets Major Update Amid Lakers Drama
During the 2024-25 NBA season, Doncic dealt with some injury issues. He played in 50 games, averaging 28.2 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.8 steals. Doncic shot 45 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from three-point range.
Even though the most likely scenario remains that Doncic sticks with Los Angeles long-term, the Nuggets are a team to keep an eye on. It’s not a guarantee that Doncic will simply re-sign with the Lakers without considering other options.
Expect to continue hearing about Doncic’s contact situation ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
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