Luka Doncic is optimistic about the Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason after the franchise aggressively reshaped its roster, according to ESPN insider Dave McMenamin.
Speaking on NBA Today, McMenamin said he checked with someone close to Doncic and came away with a clear message about the Lakers star’s mindset. “He’s excited about the moves that they made, now recognizes that there’s a lot of work ahead of them, but feels like this is going to give the requisite kind of wind behind his own sails to march towards the championship,” McMenamin reported.
The comments come after an active offseason in which the Lakers addressed several roster needs following a 53-29 regular season that earned them the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Their playoff run ended abruptly, however, as the Oklahoma City Thunder swept Los Angeles in the conference semifinals.
Since then, general manager Rob Pelinka has focused on building a deeper roster around Doncic. The Lakers acquired center Walker Kessler while also adding veteran frontcourt players Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili. In the backcourt, they strengthened their rotation with Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton.
According to McMenamin’s reporting, those additions have resonated with Doncic, who believes the roster now gives the team a stronger foundation to contend for an NBA title. While the source acknowledged that significant work remains before the season begins, the overall outlook surrounding the franchise has improved.
The Lakers may not be finished making moves.
Los Angeles continues to pursue free-agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, who has emerged as one of the organization’s top remaining offseason targets. According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers are exploring a two-year, $20 million offer for the 23-year-old forward.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater has also reported that Pelinka remains in contact with Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, while multiple members of the organization have reached out directly to the former Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks forward. The Lakers are pitching Kuminga a starting role alongside Doncic as they look to add more size, athleticism and defensive versatility on the wing.
Financial flexibility remains the biggest obstacle. After completing several offseason additions, the Lakers have just one open roster spot and limited salary-cap room. If they decide to improve their offer, a sign-and-trade involving players such as Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht or Jaden Hardy could become necessary, with draft compensation potentially included to satisfy Atlanta.
Kuminga split the 2025-26 season between the Warriors and Hawks after being part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. In 16 games with Atlanta, he averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field and 34.6% from three-point range. Across five NBA seasons, Kuminga has averaged 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, with his best campaign coming in 2023-24 when he posted 16.1 points per contest on 52.9% shooting.
