Luka Doncic has consistently expressed enthusiasm about his future with the Lakers, but other NBA teams are reportedly keeping an eye on the situation in Los Angeles.
ESPN insider Tim MacMahon discussed Doncic’s future on “The Hoop Collective Podcast,” comparing the situation to the league-wide interest surrounding Nikola Jokic.
“Just like Joker [Nikola Jokic] can profess his loyalty to the Nuggets, there’s still going to be teams that are positioned themselves and monitoring that and all that kind of thing. It’s the same thing with Luka Doncic,” MacMahon said.
Doncic signed an extension with Los Angeles and has given no public indication that he wants to leave.
“[Doncic has] done nothing but express optimism and excitement about the Lakers since he signed that extension,” MacMahon added.
However, the relatively short length of the agreement could give rival teams reason to follow how the Lakers perform.
“But it’s not that long term of an extension, and you better believe there’s teams around the league that are looking at that situation and saying, ‘Hey, if this thing goes sideways, we’d sure like to get Luka in the midway through his prime.’”
There is no indication the Lakers are considering trading Doncic, but that could change if the team struggles.
Luka Dončić’s Lakers future thrown into question amid insider’s rival team report https://t.co/xEsK5iRsGF pic.twitter.com/BbjdGtaoCi
— New York Post (@nypost) August 22, 2026
