The Los Angeles Lakers had been living for the present moment after signing LeBron James in 2018 and trading for superstar big man Anthony Davis in 2019. But that mindset changed a bit when they essentially swapped Davis for Luka Doncic back in February.

While that trade was made in order to ensure present success, it was made even more for the future. Doncic is 26 years of age and may not have even started his prime, while Davis is 32 and may only have a couple more elite years left in him. Add to that the fact that billionaire and primary Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter is incoming as the Lakers’ majority owner, and suddenly, the future seems bright for the franchise.

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ESPN just did its future power rankings for all 30 NBA teams, and the Lakers came in at No. 8, which was a major improvement, as they ranked No. 21 last time.

“Even with LeBron James’ future unclear, the Lakers still moved up 13 spots from the last ranking,” Bobby Marks wrote. “The considerable jump is largely because of trading for Luka Doncic in February and then extending the All-NBA guard in August. The security of having Doncic under contract for at least the next three seasons, the attraction of the Los Angeles market and significant cap space in the next two seasons have the Lakers positioned well.”

Doncic agreed to a three-year, $165 million contract extension on Aug. 2, which happened to be the first day he was eligible for such an extension. He can opt out of that deal in 2028, but it is widely expected he will re-up with the Lakers again at that point and agree to a supermax deal that could pay him as much as $417 million over five years.

He has gotten into fantastic shape this summer, and there is a narrative seemingly taking shape that this coming season is his time to win his first league MVP award.

James’ future with the Lakers is murky, as he’s under contract for only this season, and guard Austin Reaves, who arguably started playing at an All-Star level last season, is expected to opt out and become a free agent next summer. But Doncic could help attract other stars and quality players around the league to come to the Lakers and help them win the NBA championship.

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This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Where the Lakers rank in ESPN’s future power rankings