Lakers Maneuvering to Pair Luka Doncic With $276 Million MVP in Near Future

Lakers Maneuvering to Pair Luka Doncic With $276 Million MVP in Near Future originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Los Angeles Lakers' longterm relationship with LeBron James appears to be nearing the end of its rope as the superstar heads into his age-41 season in 2025-26, which is also his final contract year with the NBA's signature franchise.

Decision-makers in L.A. have already made clear, in both word and action, their intention to preserve the ultimate flexibility in the summers of 2026 and 2027 to add superstar talent alongside Luka Doncic, a 26-year-old superstar himself who gives the Lakers legitimate hope of competing with the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference over the next half-decade.

That hope really only exists for a few teams in the West, one of which is the recently re-tooled Denver Nuggets due to the presence of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic on their roster. But Jokic and Doncic hail from the same region of the globe and are already close friends, which som analysts believe has given the leadership in L.A. some lofty ideas for the medium-term future.

In an ideal world for the Lakers, the organization would pair the two for the end of Jokic's prime during the heart of Doncic's prime. The possibility to do so theoretically exists two years from now.

Mark Deeks of Heavy contended on Tuesday, July 15, that the Lakers' entire team-building strategy this offseason is bent toward making a free-agency play for Jokic in the summer of 2027, after he declined a contract extension with the Nuggets earlier this month.

"Jokic and Doncic’s friendship is well-established, and allusions to the idea of them one day pairing up are starting to seep through. When viewed through that lens, everything about the Los Angeles Lakers' 2025 offseason movement -- or lack of it -- starts to make more sense," Deeks wrote. "It is not for nothing that Denver Nuggets president Josh Kroenke recently gave some voice of his own to the idea that, one day, Jokic might leave the team. Nor is it for nothing that Jokic has declined the Nuggets' offer of a contract extension."

Jokic may have declined the extension in Denver simply as a financial matter, as can earn considerably more on a longer-term deal next summer. That is the same reason that Doncic may decide to ink a three-year extension with L.A. in August rather than a four-year deal, if he signs a new contract at all, as doing so will allow him to sign a much more lucrative agreement with 10 years of NBA service come the summer of 2028.

However, Jokic's motivations could be more layered than simply adding an extra year and another $80 million or so in security on top of the $276 million contract on which he's currently playing.

The megastar, known for his blunt brand of honesty on his future and the present state of his the Nuggets organization at any given time, can use the uncertainty his recent decision has wrought to pressure Denver's front office into spending more aggressively toward the creation of another championship roster in the immediate.

"Jokic may, of course, still sign that extension next summer, rendering any positioning for him moot," Deeks continued. "But the Lakers have heard the same story about Luka and Joker that everyone else has. And they are planning accordingly."

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.