Luka Doncic Hopes To Finish Career With Lakers

Luka Doncic unexpectedly found himself in a new home when he was dealt from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most shocking trades in NBA history back in Feb. 2025. Now, Doncic enters his second full season with the Lakers, with two more guaranteed years under contract before his next opportunity to be a free agent or sign a new deal in L.A.

Every decision being made by the Lakers from the moment they acquired Doncic has been in an effort to get him to be the next great lifelong superstar in purple and gold. They have rebuilt the roster around him from the ground up, signing players they believe will best maximize Doncic’s skillset. And while we won’t know until the summer of 2028 if Doncic truly plans to be a Laker for life, his words indicate that direction already, via Melissa Rohlin of The California Post:

“Hopefully, yeah,” Doncic told the California Post. “But as you know in this NBA business, you never know what’s going to happen. But I feel like I’ve found something here that’s very comfortable for me. And hopefully [that happens].”

It took Doncic a bit to get used to the new home, franchise and uniform. But once he did, he felt he was in a spot he might want to be in for a very long time:

“After that, at training camp last year, I felt I was where I belonged,” Doncic told the California Post. “I feel very good in LA. I’m very excited. Very happy. Obviously it’s a beautiful place to live. But just being with the Lakers organization, being a part of it, it’s such an honor. It’s amazing to be here.”

The Lakers have done well with Doncic so far, piecing together back-to-back 50-win seasons with first- and second-round playoff exits in his two seasons. However, they are going to need to take another step forward if they want to ensure that this is Doncic’s long-term home.

They believe that the roster they’ve rebuilt around him can do that. Only time will tell, though, if their assessment is true and what Doncic’s factors are for determining his next steps.

Luka Doncic takes out ad in L.A. Times

Doncic wanted to get a message out to Lakers fans ahead of a highly-anticipated 2026-27 season. He did so by taking out a full page ad in the L.A. Times. The full message can be found here.