NBA executive believes one team is a threat to steal Luka Doncic from the Lakers
There has been a bit of anxiety regarding whether Doncic will actually stay with the Lakers. He can opt out of his current contract next summer, and while they have a very good roster, they don't have a championship-caliber one and are coming off a five-game loss in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
There have been reports that L.A. will be in a holding pattern for a year or two until it can go after Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokić as soon as next summer. One NBA executive said that such a plan could very well drive Doncic to join Jokic's Denver Nuggets.
Via ClutchPoints:
'The Lakers have to be careful,' a West executive told ClutchPoints. '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 wins it all or comes close while Rob [Pelinka] makes it clear he doesn't believe in Luka and LeBron as a combo, they could be a real threat for him this next season or two.'
The Nuggets won the NBA championship just two calendar years ago, and although they have lost in the second round of the playoffs during the last two seasons, they still have a very strong roster.
They're considered one of the big winners of this offseason after trading forward Michael Porter Jr. for forward Cam Johnson and adding guards Bruce Brown Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr., as well as center Jonas Valanciunas, in free agency. Of course, Jokic remains, in the minds of most, the best basketball player on the planet, and he just became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double this past season.
Los Angeles hasn't improved as much as Denver has, but it did address its big hole at the center position by snagging center Deandre Ayton, who could thrive next to Doncic since he's a big-time lob threat. There is always the chance that it makes another move this summer, especially given the fact that it reportedly wants to improve its point-of-attack defense.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
4 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former Thunder star James Harden ranked No. 34 in NBA history
As we enter the sizzling summer months, we're approaching the point in the calendar year when the NBA takes a couple of months off. That allows for plenty of time to be perspective and reflect on what's happened in the past. The Bleacher Report NBA staff took advantage of the downtime. They ranked the top 100 NBA players of all time. The extensive project had an all-hands-on-deck approach. They conjured up the votes and released a naturally controversial ranking. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's exclusion might be one of the biggest snubs, there were other players who represented the Oklahoma City Thunder among the 100 players. One is James Harden. He came in at No. 34 spot in the rankings. Harden spent the first three of his 16 seasons on the Thunder. His stint was highlighted by a 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year award. He was the third-best player on an NBA Finals team. Not agreeing to an extension, he was shockingly traded to the Houston Rockets, where he blossomed into one of the greatest scorers of all time and an MVP winner. "One of the most devastating pick-and-roll forces the game has ever seen, Harden also developed into an unstoppable isolation threat," Bleacher Report wrote. "Elite quickness, strength and craft made it impossible to stay in front of Harden, and then he perfected a step-back three-pointer so deadly that opponents actually preferred to play defense behind him." While Harden went on to enjoy historic individual success, he's yet to return to the NBA Finals since 2012. That's the one hiccup to a near-perfect resume of one of the greatest players ever. He was a consistent 30-plus point threat in his prime and a perennial All-Star and All-NBA member. "An extremely heliocentric star who has led the league in usage rate twice, never consistently defended and couldn't lead his team to a title," Bleacher Report wrote. "Harden has more than his share of detractors. But he was also among the best offensive players in the game for a decade. That matters." Harden has spent most of his career with the Rockets. He's also had stops on the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and LA Clippers. The 35-year-old has taken a step back, but remains one of the league's top players.
USA Today
4 minutes ago
- USA Today
Shaquille O'Neal expects Lakers to finish in top four in West
Right now, just about everyone agrees that the Los Angeles Lakers are a playoff team, but not a championship contender. Some more cynical pundits and observers have the Lakers falling into the play-in tournament. The team lost 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency, but it at least somewhat recovered by signing promising forward Jake LaRavia and center Deandre Ayton. In particular, Ayton has the ability to elevate the Lakers' ceiling, given how weak they were at the 5 spot this past season. Los Angeles lacks perimeter defenders, but legendary center Shaquille O'Neal said that he's more concerned about another thing the team needs more of. 'They have a legitimate big now, got two premier players,' O'Neal said. 'I'm still worried about the shooting. It's a three-point league now. Not guys that can shoot, (I'm talking about) bonafide shooters. Guys that are guaranteed, like JJ Redick. He was a bonafide shooter. They got the point guard, got the off-guard, got a legitimate center. Their chances are much better now.' However, O'Neal then added that he expects L.A. to get a top-four seed in the Western Conference this coming season. 'You got two premier players,' says O'Neal. 'You got a big guy that can do certain things. Those three players should be able to get you to one through four. If they don't have home court advantage, I'll be very disappointed.' In Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, the Lakers have what many feel is a legitimate "big three." With Ayton and underrated forward Rui Hachimura rounding out their starting five, they could become an offensive juggernaut. Yes, the West has gotten a little better, mostly because Kevin Durant has moved to the Houston Rockets, who were the No. 2 seed this past season. But it's easy to forget that L.A. was the No. 3 seed, despite a very rough stretch early in the season and another rough stretch in March. It also had to develop chemistry on the fly once Doncic arrived in early February, something that is never easy to do late in the season.
Newsweek
36 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Shaquille O'Neal Reveals Strong Concern About Lakers
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Los Angeles Lakers have had a quiet NBA offseason thus far. Rob Pelinka has made a couple of outside moves, but the team has not had an aggressive approach thus far. Part of the reason for that is due to their financial situation. LeBron James opted in to the final year of his contract with the team that will pay him just over $52.6 million. They will also need to get a major long-term deal done with Luka Doncic in the near future. Pelinka and company are planning the future around Doncic. They do not want to make moves that will take them out of the running to bring in a future superstar to pair with Doncic. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Shaquille O'Neal attends a semifinal game of the Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena between the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks on December 14, 2024 in Las... Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Shaquille O'Neal attends a semifinal game of the Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena between the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks on December 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More Photo byWhile all of that makes sense, the Lakers do need to make moves if they want to compete for a championship this season. It seems likely that they will have one more year with Doncic and James playing together barring a trade or buyout with the 40-year-old superstar. Read more: Report: Lakers May Face Luka Doncic Threat From Western Conference Rival Shaquille O'Neal recently spoke out about the team. He revealed one major concern that he has about Los Angeles and the way the roster currently stands. During an exclusive interview with D.J. Siddiqi of O'Neal opened up that he doesn't think the Lakers have enough perimeter shooting. "They have a legitimate big now, got two premier players," O'Neal said. "I'm still worried about the shooting. It's a three-point league now. Not guys that can shoot, (I'm talking about) bonafide shooters. Guys that are guaranteed, like JJ Reddick. He was a bonafide shooter. They got the point guard, got the off-guard, got a legitimate center. Their chances are much better now." He also opened up about his thoughts on what kind of season the team should be able to put together. O'Neal expects Los Angeles to have some kind of home-court advantage come playoff time, which would place them among the top four teams in the Western Conference. "The Thunder are coming off the championship. They're going to be high, they know what it takes to win the championship," O'Neal said. "Denver, they're going to be making some noise. It's about you get eight spots to make the playoffs, they're going to have to be between one through eight. I expect them to have some type of home court advantage." Read more: LeBron James' NBA Future Gets Major Update Amid Lakers Drama It will be very interesting to see what the upcoming season has in store for the Lakers. Being led by Doncic and James will give them a fighting chance. Making the additions of Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia are quality moves, but O'Neal would like to see more shooting. Perhaps Pelinka can make that happen before the season gets underway. For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
