Los Angeles Lakers fans have been on cloud nine. Their team added one of the brightest stars in the NBA. Luka Doncic has revitalized the hopes of a title, and the franchise itself has followed through, trading the two first-round picks everyone wondered over. The signs of him being the future of the franchise look clear as day. However, there is a major twist in the plot. Luka Magic could indeed leave sooner than the dust settles.

With his trade away from the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic lost out on the richest deal in NBA history which would have been worth $345 million. With the Purple and Gold, Doncic can’t sign such a contract in the near future. He does take pride in being a Laker. “It’s a big motivation to be a part of something this big,” he said in his press conference.

But with only two years left on his current contract, his future isn’t secure just yet. And teams are keeping track.

Notably, Jovan Buha, a Lakers insider expanded on the matter. According to him the probability of Luka Doncic leaving the Lakers remains “very low”. But it’s still possible. And the team to look out for is the Miami Heat.

“The dark horse that’s been out there looming with Luka pre this trade was Miami. And they had made some potential Luka-Miami long term buzz. But there’ had also been Luka and Lakers buzz and then he ended up going to the Lakers. So I would say the biggest threat as things stand would be Miami and not Denver,” Buha noted.

After trading for Jimmy Butler, the Heat have put themselves in a great position to make a splash during the 2026 offseason. They will have over $80 million in cap space. That’s the same season Doncic becomes a free agent. The most the Lakers can do is offer a four-year $228 million extension as per Bobby Marks.

They remain helpless in the matter as Doncic hasn’t completed ten years in the league. Hence, he could test the waters in LA for the next two seasons before ultimately making his future decision. But would he want to leave such a big market?

Lakers should be concerned about Luka Doncic’s future

Although the Lakers view Luka Doncic to be the face of this franchise, the financial restrictions can derail their vision. With his new extension, the perennial All-Star makes over $100 million less. Furthermore, the tax rates in California rank for the highest which could also play into his decision.

For now, what will make him certain about the pristine franchise is how they perform over the next few years. After LeBron James’ eventual retirement, the Lakers too will have space to add another star besides Luka Doncic. However, Brian Windhorst spoke about this before, he may still opt for a shorter team deal.

And if that is the case, it might work out best for both parties. A three-year extension places Luka Doncic in a position to sign a far greater contract than the Mavericks’ supermax. According to Bobby Marks, a 2 years plus one deal will make him eligible to sign a lucrative $418 million extension in 2028.

Essentially, Luka Doncic stands to make more with a short-term deal. At the same time, if the roster dynamic doesn’t favor Doncic, it provides the Lakers with an opportunity to trade. And they will most likely not take a bargain like the Mavericks took when they traded the 25-year-old.

Hence, at this time, it can’t be said for certain that Luka Doncic will share the love for LA as he did with Dallas. Simultaneously, the Lakers do have the opportunity to lure his loyalty with the prospect of making more money in the future. It could go either of two ways unless the former Mavericks guard decides to explore the market in the 2026 offseason.

If that is the understanding, the Lakers may be forced to trade him next season to avoid losing him for nothing.