Luka Doncic is settled enough in Los Angeles now to say out loud what he hopes comes next: staying with the Lakers for the long haul.
That wasn’t the feeling when he first landed in February 2025. The shock of being traded by the Dallas Mavericks took time to wear off, and Doncic admitted he didn’t truly feel at home until much later.
“After that, at training camp last year, I felt I was where I belonged,” Doncic said. “I feel very good in LA.
I’m very excited. Very happy.
Obviously it’s a beautiful place to live. But just being with the Lakers organization, being a part of it, it’s such an honor.
It’s amazing to be here.”
Jeanie Buss had already said she had never seen a player arrive so visibly upset. Doncic had fallen in love with Dallas and wanted to finish his career there, but the Mavericks dealt him to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
That move has only looked worse with time. Davis is no longer with the Mavericks, while Doncic has thrived in purple and gold. In 2025-26, the six-time All-Star averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, winning the scoring title and finishing fourth in MVP voting.
With LeBron James then leaving in the offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers, Doncic is now the clear face of the franchise. And when asked whether he wants to retire a Laker, he left the door open.
“Hopefully, yeah,” Doncic said. “But as you know in this NBA business, you never know what’s going to happen.
But I feel like I’ve found something here that’s very comfortable for me. And hopefully [that happens].”
The Lakers have already started building around him, and the early results are spotless. They improved to 2-0 with a 125-117 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, even though Doncic had an off night by his standards. He finished with 23 points on 8-for-21 shooting, plus six rebounds, seven assists, one block, and 11 turnovers.
Even so, he liked what the result said about the group.
“I think we have a lot of room still left to improve,” Doncic said, via The Sporting Tribune. “Obviously, my game was terrible, but we are 2-0, not playing, I think, great by me and [Austin Reaves]. We have a lot of room left, so it’s very exciting news, honestly.”
It’s the kind of win that matters early: the Lakers are finding ways to get through nights when their stars aren’t sharp. Doncic should be back in rhythm soon, and the next chance comes against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
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There was still a basketball game to sort through, and the night did not break in the Clippers favor, but the emotions around Hachimura were hard to miss. Luka Doncic added another layer afterward by voicing his friendship and respect for Hachimura, a reminder that these cross-town matchups can carry more personal history than the box score shows. [Read more 🡒]