Tim Hardaway Believes Luka Doncic Could Win MVP This Season

Luka Doncic has been one of the most talked about players in the entire NBA this offseason. Between his physical transformation, signing an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers and his dominant play at FIBA EuroBasket 2025, there are some who believe this season could be his best yet in the NBA.

If he is able to go to another level this season there is no doubt that Doncic will be one of the favorites to take home the NBA MVP award. And former NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway believes he has a very good chance to do just that if he is able to lead the Lakers to a high seed in the Western Conference, via Matt Moore of Action Network:

“You know what? A lot of people are gonna be surprised. He actually should have probably won it one time, but I’m gonna go with Luka Doncic. I think that if he has a really, really good year. If he has a good year like he normally has and they end up in the upper echelons, 1-4 seed. Right around there. I think he has a really, really, really good chance of winning MVP. He should have won it probably about two years ago. But he didn’t win it. He’s that talented. But he still gotta do other stuff. Just because you lose weight, he’s still gonna be the same Luka. This is not overseas. This is the NBA. You’re still gonna have to keep your feet in front of people. They are still gonna go at you. Just ’cause you lost weight,, they don’t believe that you could play defense now. You can move your feet now. You are as agile as you should be, and this and that. You’re still 6’8, you’re still kinda slow. You still move at your own pace. But I would put Luka down as MVP this year.”

The key to this will be the Lakers record and standings in what is set to be a loaded Western Conference. If Luka is able to have a career year and the Lakers are again a top three seed in the West, he will undoubtedly be in the MVP mix. But there will surely be a lot of competition as Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are perennially in the running and there’s always the possibilities of other young players jumping into the mix like Anthony Edwards or Victor Wembanyama.

Hardaway is right in that players and teams will continue to attack Doncic on the defensive end as there will still be questions about his ability to defend even though he has lost weight. The Lakers star did show improved activity during his EuroBasket run, but the NBA will continue to test that once the season begins.

Lakers’ Luka Doncic interested in owning a sports franchise one day

Normally it is Luka Doncic’s Lakers teammate LeBron James who gets mentioned in discussions about owning a sports franchise, and considering he is in the final stages of his career it makes sense. And that may be rubbing off on Luka as he is ‘very interested’ in owning a sports franchise one day as well.