Few people consider the Los Angeles Lakers to be legitimate contenders for the NBA championship this coming season. But there is no doubt the team had a relatively successful offseason and has a significantly better and stronger roster than it did at the end of last season.
The Lakers brought in center Deandre Ayton, who has career averages of 16.4 points on 59% field-goal shooting and 10.5 rebounds a game, and he represents a major upgrade over Jaxson Hayes, their previous starter. They also signed guard Marcus Smart, who is just three years removed from winning the Defensive Player of the Year award, and up-and-coming role player Jake LaRavia, a 6-foot-7 forward.
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Best of all, Luka Doncic, the new face of the franchise, has gotten into much better shape. Although his Slovenian national team lost in the quarterfinal round of EuroBasket 2025 to eventual champion Germany, he was sensational with averages of 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists a game.
He told Darren Haynes of Sports Central L.A. that the Lakers’ goal for this coming season is to win it all.
“Championship, that is our goal. That should always be our goal, obviously we went out in the first round, but our goal is championship.”
Despite being fat, out of shape and hobbled last season, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists a game after being traded to Los Angeles in early February. At age 26, he’s likely only starting to enter his prime at this point in his career.
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As the new face of the Lakers, Doncic saying that the team’s goal is to win the NBA championship should reverberate greatly across the organization and the Southland. By doing so, he’s showing the type of leadership he needs to display in order for the squad to reach the top of its potential.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Doncic says 2025-26 Lakers have one simple goal