If we trust that the most recent rumors are reliable, it appears Luka Doncic is set to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers for the long haul. ESPN's Tim McMahon recently stated that Doncic is "fully committed" to the Lakers.
This will of course provide some solace to Lakers fans who were concerned with this team's direction long-term. Even if LeBron James decides to hang it up soon, Los Angeles will still seemingly have their franchise player around for years to come.
Doncic's situation is a bit of an interesting one, given how he ended up here in the first place. He currently has one year remaining on his current contract, with a player option for the 2026-27 season worth $48.9 million.
Beginning on Aug. 2 of this year, Doncic will be eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million contract extension with the Lakers. This was the same type of deal that it appeared Nico Harrison was skeptical about paying Luka in Dallas, which of course led to the now-infamous trade.
It appears Doncic wants to commit to the Lakers long-term
All the indicators that have been made public have pointed to the idea that Doncic never expected to leave the Mavericks. As such, his heart was with the city and the organization. With him strangely ending up in Los Angeles in February, he found himself in a place he had little or no emotional attachment to.
That led many to wonder — Would Luka leave the Lakers and go elsewhere? Could he even go back to Dallas? Sure, he had a great basketball situation in LA, but after a 4-1 gentleman's sweep in the first round at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, perhaps it wasn't as great as it had been made out to be. What was stopping him from hopping on a plane and joining his buddy Nikola Jokic in Denver?
These were the thoughts racing through the minds of many Lakers fans, especially those that were panicking and thinking about the worst possible outcome. But the vast majority of the time in life, our worst fears do not come true. And for Lakers fans here, it doesn't appear they will either.
In fact, McMahon took it a step further when appearing on The Dan Patrick Show. "I would be shocked if there’s not some sort of extension this summer," he said. That is certainly some strong language that leads us to believe there shouldn't be any concern about Doncic packing his bags and ditching Los Angeles.
McMahon's closing remarks should leave Lakers fans truly fired up about what is to come. "I think he’s fully committed to LA now. His heart was broken, but he’s fully committed to the Lakers. His goal now is to win championships with that franchise."
