Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić finally broke his silence following the franchise’s sale to LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter for a staggering $10 billion valuation.
It was the largest sale of a professional sports team ever.
The Slovenian star puts to bed whatever questions about his long-term future with the Lakers following the transfer of ownership.
“The Lakers are an amazing organization. I’m looking forward to meeting Mark and excited about the future. I am also grateful to Jeanie and the Buss family for welcoming me to LA, and I’m happy that Jeanie will continue to be involved. I look forward to working with both of them to win championships!” Dončić posted on X.
The Buss family will keep a minority share of the team, just over 15%, for a period of time, according to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania, to keep Jeanie as the team governor for the foreseeable future.
The free-spending billionaire Walter has transformed the Dodgers into the best baseball team since he took over in 2011. He is looking to have the same effect on the Lakers.
The Dodgers have won two World Series, four National League pennants and 11 West Division titles since 2011. On the other hand, the Lakers had only won one NBA championship, one conference finals and division title during that span.
Luka’s Extension
The first order of business in Walter’s majority ownership of the Lakers is securing Dončić’s long-term future.
Dončić is eligible to extend for four years, worth $229 million.
However, ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks predicts the Lakers star will sign a shorter deal with an eye towards a richer contract after this extension.
“More likely: a three-year, $165 million extension that includes a player option in the third year. The short-term extension allows Doncic to reenter free agency sooner and potentially recoup the $345 million he lost when he was traded from the Mavericks,” Marks wrote in his offseason guide for the Lakers.
Even before the sale, Dončić has expressed his long-term commitment to the Lakers organization after his stunning trade from the Dallas Mavericks midseason.
His loyalty is now with the Lakers as he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews in an interview before the playoffs.
Lakers Star Taking Offseason Seriously
After the criticisms about his poor conditioning that haunted him since the shocking trade, Dončić had taken it seriously and looking forward to prove his critics wrong.
A slimmed, toned down Dončić showed up recently at a Real Madrid basketball game.
Another sighting of the Lakers star show him working out with noticeably slimmer body.
In the aftermath of the trade, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Doncic’s weight had ballooned to the “high 260s” during his final season in Dallas which was one of the factors why they traded him.
After the Lakers season ended in first-round exit, coach JJ Redick had sharp comments which was believed to have been a veiled shot at their newest star.
“I’ll start with the offseason and the work that’s required in an offseason to be in championship shape,” Redick told reporters after the playoffs. “And we have a ways to go as a roster. And certainly, there are individuals who were in phenomenal shape. There are certainly other ones that could have been in better shape. That’s where my mind goes immediately, is we have to get in championship shape.”
“Get Up” host Mike Greenberg and ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst agreed that Redick was referring to Dončić.
“There isn’t any question that he is talking directly to Luka Dončić there, right?” Greenberg asked Windhorst.
“Yeah,” Windhorst replied. “I can see Nico Harrison sort of lighting a cigar, watching that press conference.”
