The build-up to the Lakers’ 2026 offseason started before Luka Dončić even joined the Lakers, but his arrival placed a larger microscope over what is about to unfold.
After a season-and-a-half of cobbling together pieces to try to maximize Luka as best as they can, the Lakers’ front office has books as clean as they’ll ever have, multiple draft picks to trade and a massive opportunity in front of them. Now, they head into a summer likely to bring big changes.
While it’s the likes of President of Basketball
Operations Rob Pelinka and those around him who will be under pressure, this will be a collaborative effort between the front office and Luka. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on Tuesday, even with Luka back in Slovenia this summer, the two sides have stayed in regular contact.
Doncic is spending the summer in Slovenia with his daughters, Gabriela and Olivia, but sources close to him told ESPN he is in “constant communication” with Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick.
From the moment Luka joined the franchise, his input has been not just received, but sought after. Days after they traded for him, the front office met with Luka, who expressed his desire for a center. It was right after that conversation that the team initially traded for Mark Williams.
The problem is that, 16 months later, the Lakers are still searching for that center. And, as reported by McMenamin, that remains at the top of Luka’s wish list.
While the 27-year-old Doncic is preparing for another season squarely in his prime, he has made one roster preference clear to Pelinka and Redick, sources said.
It’s the same one he made in the days after he first arrived in Los Angeles 16 months ago.
“Luka’s first and foremost desire is an A-list center,” the source said.
It really feels like the Lakers have to move past the days of searching for the bargain option at center and pay up to get a top option. Having a genuine, lob-catching, rim-protecting center that Luka can get the best out of not only opens up the offense for him, but the team as a whole. It really changes the identity of the team and should be not just Luka’s top priority, but the team’s as well.
There are any number of ways the team can go about acquiring that type of player, whether through free agency, trade or the draft. But this summer has been a long time coming and the Lakers should be well-prepared for what’s to come.
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