Luka Doncic's Lakers Future Addressed by NBA Insider After Question About Potential Split

ESPN NBA insider Dave McMenamin expressed doubt Thursday regarding the possibility of Luka Dončić wanting to split with the Los Angeles Lakers any time soon.

Discussing whether the 2026-27 season could be Dončić's last one with the Lakers, McMenamin suggested that nothing points to that being the case.

"Even with the Lakers' ownership about to change hands from Mark Walter to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, it's hard to imagine the organization suddenly changing directions and not continuing to build with Dončić as the center of its universe," McMenamin wrote.

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"It's similarly unfathomable to believe that Dončić, who just footed a six-figure bill to host all of his teammates for a minicamp and camaraderie-growing retreat in Slovenia, would suddenly decide that he is done with the Lakers next summer."

Dončić signed a three-year, $160.34 million contract extension, including a player option for 2028-29, with the Lakers in August 2025.

While that extension was signed under the ownership of Walter, who agreed to sell the Lakers to Kushner and Iger two weeks ago, all signs point toward the Lakers continuing to build around Dončić.

Even with LeBron James in the fold last season, Dončić was clearly the go-to guy, as he averaged a league-leading 33.5 points per game to go along with 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds en route to a fourth-place finish in the NBA MVP voting.

James subsequently left the Lakers and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, erasing any doubt about who the Lakers' on-court leader is.

Perhaps things could change if the Lakers struggle this coming season or if Dončić clashes with the new ownership group, but as of now, he is clearly the Lakers' foundation and their best chance at contending in the coming years.