As the first-round loss to Minnesota showed, L.A. needs a deeper roster with more size. But the team lacks salary room and draft assets.

The NBA sets the stage for an early clash between the Lakers and Mavericks this October in Las Vegas. The potential preseason matchup comes with Luka Dončić’s trade to Los Angeles now part of league history.

Luka Dončić, by all accounts, planned to sign a five-year, supermax extension with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. Those plans were scuttled when the Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.

“I mean it’s been great, honestly,” Luka said. “The way the fans accepted me, it’s been amazing. The way the community accepted me, it’s been amazing. I’m really glad that I’m here. I had a great couple of months. Been trying to learn about everything, about the city, about the team. So, just trying to process everything.”

“Get Up” host Mike Greenberg and ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst agreed that Redick was referring to Dončić, whose poor conditioning and off-court habits were reported as reasons why the Dallas Mavericks traded him. “There isn’t any question that he is talking directly to Luka Dončić there, right?” Greenberg asked Windhorst.

Was this the Lakers wake-up call moment? The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2025 NBA Playoffs with high expectations, boasting a revamped roster featuring LeBron James and Luka Dončić.

If there were any questions about Luka Dončić's commitment to the Los Angeles Lakers beyond next NBA season, we can probably put those to rest now. Because it sure seems like the superstar guard is ready to ride with the Lakers much longer than the tail end of the legendary LeBron James' career in Los Angeles.

The play, one Hayes did not remember, came last season, on Dec. 12, 2023, when he was in his first months with the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Dončić was still starring for the Dallas Mavericks.

The mural served as one of the many tributes dotted around the city following the athlete’s tragic death in a helicopter crash in 2020.

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