In some ways, it may still be hard to believe that the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last February for what seemed like a low price. Doncic is only 26 years of age, and he’s set to continue to be the face of the storied franchise for perhaps the next decade or so.

In the six and a half seasons they had Doncic, the Mavericks failed to build a truly championship-caliber roster around him. They did reach the NBA Finals in 2024, but that was likely more a function of Doncic elevating his teammates beyond the sum of their parts, as the team won 50 games and finished fifth in the Western Conference that season.

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During an interview with SportKlub, the Slovenian superstar was asked whether the Lakers or Mavericks are the better organization, and he didn’t mince words (h/t Lakers Nation).

“I think the organization is better here. The Lakers are a truly legendary club and the organization is legendary too,” the Slovenian superstar blurted out.

While the Mavs’ immediate future looks bleak despite the stellar play of rookie Cooper Flagg this season, the Lakers are positioned to build an elite cast around Doncic this summer. Los Angeles could have roughly $50 million of salary cap space this offseason, and it can trade two future first-round draft picks, as well as its 2026 first-rounder. That will allow it to quickly address its needs of athleticism, perimeter defense and 3-point shooting fairly quickly.

The fact that Mark Walter, whose Los Angeles Dodgers have won the last two World Series championships, is now the Lakers’ majority owner has given fans hope that the franchise will start doing things right. Ever since winning the 2020 NBA title, it has gotten past the first round of the playoffs only once.

The Lakers almost certainly won’t win the NBA championship this season, but they aren’t exactly a mediocre team. They’re currently in fifth place in the West with a 33-21 record despite a number of key injuries, and Doncic expressed his confidence this past weekend that they can win it all.

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He’s currently dealing with a hamstring strain that caused him to miss the team’s last four games, but he was able to play in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game. Lakers coach JJ Redick said that Doncic should be able to play when the squad resumes its regular season schedule on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Doncic says Lakers organization is better than Mavs organization