Imagine the Slovenian superstar in Purple & Gold! It seems like an impossible dream, but that’s not the case. There are high chances for the Lakers to rope in Luka Doncic in two years. At least that’s what the numbers suggest. Notably, the Dallas guard had a commendable last season, reaching his first NBA Finals, and unfortunately fell short against the Celtics. With Kyrie Irving by his side, Luka Magic won’t just give up with one attempt. So, how will the Lakers lure the star guard?

LA hasn’t really made any addition to their fold in the off-season, except for bringing in JJ Redick as the new head coach. Right from the word go, he set things straight that he would focus more on “player development” rather than the NBA title, even though he claimed the Lakers to be a championship-caliber side. However, things won’t remain the same after LeBron James’ departure. The team will be left stranded with a 14-season-old Anthony Davis.

While no one pondered around the team’s bleak future, Lakers Nations’ Trevor Lane and Daniel Starkand picked up the hot buzz. It all began when Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported that the Lakeshow has their “sight set” on Luka Doncic in the future, especially after the post-LeBron James era. Following the blockbuster report, here are possible scenarios that can help the LA side.

How can the Lakers lure Luka Doncic to LA?

Right off the bat, it’s important to address Luka Doncic‘s strong bond with the Mavericks side. Following the exit of Dirk Nowitzki, the Texas side has rested the entire franchise’s weight on his shoulder. While he struggled without any support in the initial four seasons, Mark Cuban and Co. encouraged him with the Kyrie Irving trade. And they almost won the title.

Now, the team has roped in another ace shooter, Klay Thompson. So, it’s quite clear that Luka Doncic isn’t moving anywhere for at least the next two years while he is also eligible for an extension. Let’s weigh on the possible scenarios.

1. A mammoth void in the Lakers’ projected cap space

Looking at the current Lakers roster, Anthony Davis and LeBron James take up the majority of the cap space with their embellished contracts. AD is currently in a 5-year contract worth $189 million that will mature after the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, King James recently signed a two-year contract worth $101 million.

Assuming that Bron would play two more seasons and AD cracks an extension at the cusp of the 2026-27 season, the team will have huge cap space. Notably, The Brow would only take up 35% of the team’s purse, as per Trevor Lane. This ultimately will provide the muscle for the LA side to hunt Luka Doncic.

2. The post-Kyrie Irving era might work in Jeanie Buss and Co.’s favor

Importantly, Luka Doncic is eligible for a super-max contract extension in the 2025 off-season. Lakers Nation experts strongly suggested that the Slovenian baller would accept the offer but also sense a trade post-Kyrie Irving era. The 32-year-old will enter his 14th season in two months, and the Insider doubts the star to continue with the same force in the coming years. It will ultimately leave Luka Doncic stranded, again.

Moreover, Trevor Lane pointed out the recent trend in the NBA world and used it to further solidify his argument. Lane added, “What’s happening more and more often in today’s NBA is rather than moving free agency, rather than team hoarding cap space, despite what we saw with 76ers this summer with Paul George, more stars are moving via trade.” The Insider suggested that Luka Doncic wouldn’t wait for his super-max contract to mature, instead, he would jump via trade.

More importantly, the Lakers haven’t really pushed themselves in this off-season to add players to the fold. This saved a lot of future picks and eventually made the Lakers strong enough to negotiate in the years to come. Interestingly, even AD came into the LA side via a trade that cost Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, three first-round picks, and a pick swap.

3. Mindset needs to flip on its head; Lakers need to hope for a Luka-driven move

Even though the Lakers have all the assets in the NBA world, will Luka Doncic detach from the Mavs’ fold? That’s one of the important questions that the LA side should think about before pursuing the star guard. Daniel Starkand addressed it, saying, “For it to be a possibility, I think a lot of it has to be Luka-driven.”

Starkand continued on Lakers Nation, “I think he’d have to be unhappy in Dallas. He’d have to say like, ‘I’m not re-signing here. You trade me before you lose for nothing. It might have to happen before he signs the extension because if he signs the extension and he is under contract for four to 5 years, he loses some of his leverage.” As of now, all these scenarios seem like a pipe dream for the Lakers, especially during a struggle to strengthen the roster.

Anyway, what do you make of these scenarios? Will Luka Doncic don the Purple & Gold threads? Let us know in the comments below.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.