The Los Angeles Lakers could be in trouble if they don't heed a Western Conference executive's warning.
While not everyone predicted that Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers would win a championship last year, many were certain the organization would at least advance to the second round of the playoffs.
To their surprise, the Minnesota Timberwolves not only eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games but also made a mockery of the organization’s thin frontcourt.
Rudy Gobert, a defensive-minded center with a limited offensive repertoire, finished the final contest of the series with 27 points and 24 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ 101-96 defeat.
Although Los Angeles likely feels confident after signing Deandre Ayton to a two-year, $16.2 million deal and preparing to witness Doncic in a Lakers uniform for a full season, an anonymous Western Conference executive issued a strong warning to the franchise.
“The Lakers have to be careful," the executive told ClutchPoints’ Benedetto Vitale on Wednesday. "Luka just got his butt kicked by a team he handled easily last year, and now they're telling him to wait another year before he can really compete."
"If Denver (Nuggets) wins it all or comes close while Rob (Pelinka) makes it clear he doesn't believe in Luka and LeBron (James) as a combo, they could be a real threat for him this next season or two.”
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Doncic has a pivotal contract decision approaching.
The former Dallas Mavericks superstar is eligible to sign a three-year, $165 million contract or a four-year, $229 million contract extension with the Lakers this summer.
The organization’s $10 billion sale to Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and valuable center/lob threat addition in Ayton show that the Lakers want Doncic to feel comfortable spending the next leg of his career with the 2020 NBA champions.
However, the five-time All-Star could still push an extension to the side and enter free agency next summer, which would spell doom for Los Angeles.
As the mysterious Western Conference executive mentioned, Denver could be a realistic destination for Doncic if he’s on the market in 2026.
Nikola Jokic would marvel at the opportunity to compete with a bona fide superstar for the first time in his career (Jamal Murray is a tier below that level) and improve his odds of finishing his career with more than one championship to his name.
Things could get scary for the Lakers sooner than expected.
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Category: Basketball
