If it isn’t clear already, the Los Angeles Lakers won the February blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers sent Anthony Davis to the Mavericks, while the Lakers received Dončić in return.
This year, LA has never looked better.
After an early-season injury, Luka quickly bounced back and is averaging nearly a triple-double. He’s scoring an average of 34.6 points a game, along with 8.6 rebounds and nine assists. He looks like prime 2022-24 Dončić, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
The Lakers’ success so far begs the question: Is Dončić alone reliable enough for a successful 2025-26 campaign?
The answer: Absolutely.
Dončić brought a roster — composed of Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington, Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, and, of course, himself — to the NBA Finals. There is no doubt that the 2025-26 Lakers have a better roster, and Luka is playing at an even higher caliber than that year while sitting in the driver’s seat.
With LeBron James returning to the lineup Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz, Austin Reaves playing the best basketball of his career, and having other reliable pieces to support Luka, this roster has the makings of a deep playoff run.
The major concern over relying on Dončić in the long run is if their offense relies too much on him to get things done.
However, in LA’s most recent win against the Utah Jazz, they displayed a rather balanced offense. While Dončić led the scoring with 37 points, he also got 10 assists and showed trust in his teammates. Reaves recorded 26 points, Deandre Ayton tacked on 20, and even Jake LaRavia scored 16 points.
The Dončić-LeBron combo on offense, along with reliable pieces around them, seems to work well for the Lakers. For now, the team appears to be balanced and not entirely dependent on their stars to get it done every night.
If Dončić can get the rest of his team behind him, the Lakers are due for a long and successful season.