Dirk Nowitzki didn’t have to say much to make the point: Luka Doncic’s new look has clearly caught his attention.
The former Mavericks star spoke with KDFW Fox 4 reporter Sam Gannon and weighed in on the transformation Doncic has carried into the 2026-27 NBA season. That body change has been one of the biggest talking points around the Lakers guard since Dallas made the stunning decision to trade him to Los Angeles.
The move hit Doncic hard, especially after then-general manager Nico Harrison took subtle shots at him by suggesting he doesn’t play defense and is never in the kind of shape the Mavs need to win a championship. Doncic answered by putting serious work into his body, and he’s kept that commitment going as he heads toward his second full season with the Lakers.
Nowitzki, a close friend and former teammate, has seen enough to react. And from the way he spoke about it, the message was pretty simple: he likes what he sees.
The Lakers legend also addressed some of the offseason changes in Los Angeles, including LeBron James’ departure and the addition of rising star Walker Kessler. In Nowitzki’s view, the Lakers are moving in the right direction, and Doncic could be lined up for another strong year in purple and gold.
The timing matters, too. The Lakers are only weeks away from getting back on the floor, with media day set for Sept. 28 and training camp beginning the next day. Their preseason opens on Oct. 5 against the Sacramento Kings, and the regular season follows on Oct. 21 for LA.
By then, fans should have a much clearer picture of this revamped roster. If head coach JJ Redick rolls out his projected starters, the preseason trip to face the Kings at Golden 1 Center could offer the first real look at how this version of the Lakers fits together.
In Other News...
Danny Green Sees One Lakers Question That Could Define This Team
The Lakers have spent much of the offseason trying to balance star power with enough dependable depth to survive the long grind, and Danny Green thinks the answer may come from the edges of the roster rather than the top. During an appearance on the Mason & Ireland show, the former NBA guard pointed to Cameron Carr, Ziaire Williams and Collin Sexton as the kinds of players who could end up shaping how this group holds together, especially after the roster changes that have given Los Angeles a younger look.
Greens broader read on the team was pretty straightforward: there is more depth and more youth here than there was before, and that can be a good thing if the right pieces settle in quickly. For the Lakers, the real question is whether that pool of newer faces can become a strength instead of a project, because in a Western Conference that punishes uncertainty, the margin for error is thin and the difference between a solid season and a frustrating one could come down to which of those lower-profile additions actually takes a step forward. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Could Derail Knicks Push To Fix Their Frontcourt
The Knicks have spent the summer trying to shore up their frontcourt behind Karl-Anthony Towns, and the work has not been simple. Mitchell Robinson, their former starting center, is now with the Boston Celtics on a three-year contract, leaving New York to sort through a thinner rotation and elevate Andre Drummond into the backup role while the search for one more big man continues.
Kelly Olynyk has surfaced as one low-risk option, but even that kind of roster fix can get complicated when other teams are circling the same veteran market. For the Knicks, the need is clear enough: they want a third center for insurance and depth, and the longer that search drags on, the more every potential target starts to feel like a player they cannot afford to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Still Have One Roster Need They Clearly Do Not Trust
The Lakers spent the offseason trying to shore up the middle by adding Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney, but the picture at center still looks unsettled enough that the front office is keeping its eyes open. With the roster at full capacity, any move now would require some accounting work, which is usually a sign a team is still not fully convinced it has enough protection behind its front line.
Dwight Powell has come up as one possible fit, and the appeal is easy to understand: he already knows people in the building and would not need much of a reset to get comfortable. Even so, Los Angeles remains active in both the free-agent and trade markets, and the fact that it is still monitoring every avenue says plenty about how much trust it has in its current depth at the position. [Read more 🡒]