Luka Doncic didn’t walk into Lakers media day sounding like a player easing into a new situation. He sounded like someone who knows exactly what the standard is in Los Angeles.
For him, there’s no mystery about what counts as a successful season for the Lakers in 2026-27.
“Realistically, I would say championship because if that’s not your goal I don’t know what you’re doing here. But I would like everybody, including me to know come everyday, to learn something new to try to be comepteive and to try to give everything every day.”
That’s the kind of answer Lakers fans want to hear, especially with the franchise entering its first full season without LeBron James. Doncic isn’t interested in softening the expectations. In his mind, the bar stays where it has always been: title or bust.
He also made clear that while an MVP award would matter to him, it only makes sense if the team is good enough to support it.
“MVP, obviously I would like to have that one day but that don’t come if the team’s not good.”
That line says plenty about where his priorities sit. Individual honors matter, sure, but they’re tied to team success in his eyes. The bigger prize comes first.
Of course, wanting a championship and getting one are two very different things. The Lakers did attack one of their biggest needs by bringing in Walker Kessler and then locking him in on a four-year extension worth $130 million. They also kept Austin Reaves and added multiple rotation players.
Still, life after LeBron is never going to be a simple swap. Last season, the Lakers finished 53-29 and made it to the second round before getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now the challenge is building a new identity around Doncic and Reaves while folding Kessler and the rest of the roster into the mix.
And the Western Conference is not exactly offering any breathing room. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs loom as serious threats, while the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and others are all chasing position in a loaded field.
That’s why Lakers insider Jovan Buha has described success differently. He has pointed to 50 wins, a top-four seed, and a competitive second-round series against a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs as the kind of season that would qualify as a win.
Health will be part of the equation too, especially after Doncic’s nagging toe injury kept him out of the playoffs last season.
But Doncic wasn’t at media day talking about ceilings or consolation prizes. He knows how hard the West will be.
He knows the Lakers still have a lot to figure out. And he knows the only realistic goal worth chasing is the biggest one of all.
In Other News...
Lakers Bring Back Familiar Faces With Two-Way Spots Suddenly In Play
The Lakers have filled a couple of training camp openings by bringing back two familiar names, signing William Kyle III and Cole Swider to Exhibit 10 contracts. Both players now get a chance to spend camp in the same building where roster spots are being sorted out, and both will have a path to stay in the mix if they can turn that opportunity into something more.
What makes the move more interesting is how quickly the two-way picture has opened up around them. Los Angeles recently waived two other players on Exhibit 10 deals to create space, and that leaves Kyle and Swider positioned to compete for one of the spots that can still change a fringe players outlook in a hurry. For a team still sorting through the edges of its roster, those kinds of camp battles can matter just as much as the names already locked in. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Trade Came After Utah Faced A Serious Threat
Walker Kesslers arrival in Los Angeles came after a tense stretch in Utah, where the Jazz were trying to keep one of their most valuable young bigs in place while weighing the cost of a major extension. The Lakers landed him through a sign-and-trade package built around two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps, a price that underscores how aggressively they moved to bring in a center with real long-term value.
Kessler ended up on a four-year, $130 million contract with the Lakers after reportedly passing on a five-year, $140 million offer from Utah, a choice that adds another layer to how the deal unfolded. Rob Pelinka also said Kessler is fully healthy after shoulder surgery, which only heightens the interest in what Los Angeles believes it added, even as the full story behind Utahs urgency continues to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Could Not Hide What LeBron's Exit Meant To Him
LeBron James departure after eight seasons with the Lakers landed hard inside the locker room, and Austin Reaves did not try to mask it. Reaves, who developed a close relationship with James, spoke openly about how much the veteran meant to him as both a teammate and a mentor, a reminder of how much of last seasons identity was built around the two of them sharing the floor and the day-to-day rhythm that came with it.
Now Reaves is staring at a bigger role in Los Angeles heading into next season, with the Lakers needing more from him on and off the ball. Meanwhile, James heads to Philadelphia on a two-year deal, where the 76ers suddenly look every bit like a superteam alongside Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown, leaving the Lakers to figure out what life looks like without one of the leagues defining figures. [Read more 🡒]