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Rumor: Lakers’ Luka Dončić Told Rob Pelinka, JJ Redick ‘I Had A Taste Of The Finals, I Am Getting Back There’

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 11:58 AM ET

NBA superstar Luka Dončić had dinner with Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick in May. Lara Beth Seager, Dončić’s business manager, was at the dinner as well.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Dončić delivered a strong message to Pelinka and Redick while eating dinner.

“I don’t want to wait. I had a taste of the Finals. I am getting back there. So let’s do whatever we can now.”

Dončić led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024. The Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in five games.

Dallas traded Dončić to the Lakers last season in one of the most shocking deals in sports history. Los Angeles lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games despite having Dončić, LeBron James and home-court advantage.

The Lakers signed Dončić to a three-year, $165 million extension on Saturday. Dončić, who recruited Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to Los Angeles this offseason, believes the purple and gold have everything it takes to compete for the championship next season.

“We have what we need to compete for the championship,” Dončić said on Saturday. “I’ll try to win every game no matter what and we got some new great guys on the team. So you know, we’re going to go for it.”

Dončić appeared in 28 games with the Lakers last season. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists while shooting 43.8% from the field, 37.9% from beyond the arc and 79.1% from the free-throw line.

A five-time All-Star, Dončić put up 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in the Lakers-Timberwolves series. The 26-year-old point-forward transformed his body this summer by going on a gluten-free, low-sugar diet, according to Men’s Health.

Dončić has also gone on an intermittent fasting plan designed to limit inflammation and help his body recover better.

A future Hall of Famer, Dončić enters next season with career averages of 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists with the Mavericks and Lakers. He’s third in NBA history in points per game.