
2025 NBA Odds: Lakers, Dončić Odds Shorten After Magazine Cover Reveal
Dončić is the cover athlete in the latest edition of Men's Health Magazine, and since he revealed his svelte, new physique, the star's MVP odds have also moved up the board.
Currently, the Lakers' championship futures are +1400 at DraftKings Sportsbook, moving from +1600 just two weeks ago.
On July 17 at DraftKings, Dončić was sitting fourth at +800 to win the league's most coveted individual honor.
Now, he's third at +650, behind Nikola Jokić (+250) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+250), and moving ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo (+700).
Let's check out some of the other Lakers and Dončić odds at DraftKings as of July 29.
Dončić Clutch Player of the Year
+1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Dončić Western Conference Finals MVP
+1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
Dončić Finals MVP
+2000 (bet +2000 to win $210 total)
Lakers Win Western Conference
+1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Lakers No. 1 Seed Western Conference
+3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
JJ Redick Coach of the Year
+1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Will Dončić's slimmed-down frame be worth its weight in gold when it comes to boosting the Lakers' chances at winning it all next year?
At least one expert thinks so.
"I think he looked at LeBron and said this guy is naturally gifted … I want to get there," co-host Chris Broussard said on "First Things First" about Dončić's physical transformation.
"If he does come back looking like he did in that magazine in that kind of shape, the Lakers are a real threat," Broussard added. "Luka is great period. Luka was great last year — overweight, coming off injury, sad … and not playing defense.
"If he's in this kind of shape … I just think they have enough, and they have a legitimate chance."
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
recommended
Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bronny James Gets Real On Missed Game-Winner Vs. Cooper Flagg
Bronny James Gets Real On Missed Game-Winner Vs. Cooper Flagg originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers fell just short of a big win over the Dallas Mavericks in Cooper Flagg's unofficial NBA debut. Bronny James had a chance to take the lead with the clock winding down, but his potential game-winning three-pointer bounced off the rim with just under four seconds left to play. The Mavs escaped with a two-point win, all while Bronny struggled with eight points on as many shots and a scoreless second half. Even so, the second-year pro isn't too worried about that, and he took pride in his defensive effort: 'I felt good,' James said. 'I felt I could have knocked some more shots down, but it is what it is. You're not going to make them all. I felt my effort on the defensive end was good, and that's what I'm focusing on this year.' Bronny got some stops against Flagg and even challenged him early on with a fadeaway, knocking down five quick points in what promised to be a big night for him. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to keep his foot on the gas. Even so, Lakers assistant coach and Summer League coach Lindsay Harding has no regrets, and she wants to keep putting that kind of pressure on Bronny's shoulders: 'Yes, I want him to fill that responsibility at the end of the game,' Harding said. 'I want him to have the ball in his hands, and I'm going to live and die with whatever shot he takes. It was the decision he made. It was a good shot. I've seen him make it before.' At the end of the day, the Summer League is nothing but a learning experience. While Bronny's shot wasn't falling, his defensive prowess and decision-making turned plenty of heads, and he might be in for a bigger role in year two. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.


USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Lakers jersey history No. 2 — Kenny Carr
Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary. As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years. We now take a look at Kenny Carr, who played for the Lakers in the late 1970s. Carr was a big star during his college days at North Carolina State University. He got two first-team All-ACC nods, and in three years at the school, he averaged 20.6 points and 9.2 rebounds a game. He also got himself a gold medal with the United States men's Olympic basketball team in 1976. In 1977, the Lakers made the 6-foot-7 forward the No. 6 pick in the NBA draft. In those days before the curtain rose on the Showtime era, they needed talent to put around Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and it was hoped that Carr would help in that regard. But he didn't. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15 minutes a game during two seasons and change with Los Angeles, and the team sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade early in the 1979-80 campaign. Carr's production would improve somewhat after that trade. He ended up playing 10 seasons in the NBA with four different teams, and he had career averages of 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.


USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Lakers jersey history No. 1/No. 3 — Trevor Ariza
Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary. As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years. We will now take a look at Trevor Ariza, who played a pivotal role in the Lakers winning the 2009 NBA championship. Ariza, a 6-foot-8 forward, went to Westchester High School in Los Angeles and then played one season at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was a second-round pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, but he amounted to little in his first three seasons as a pro. The Lakers sent big man Brian Cook and wing Maurice Evans to the Orlando Magic for Ariza early in the 2007-08 season. Ariza arrived as essentially a wet ball of clay, and coach Phil Jackson went to work molding him into a key part of the team. He quickly emerged as an energetic team defender and a strong finisher in transition. His 3-point shooting gradually improved as well, and he eventually moved into L.A.'s starting lineup late in the 2008-09 season. In that year's playoffs, Ariza averaged 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals a game while shooting 49.7% from the field and 47.6% from 3-point range as the Lakers won the NBA championship. He had a couple of steals in crunch time during Game 1 and Game 3 of the Western Conference finals to get the Lakers over the hump. He left that summer to join the Houston Rockets, and although he jumped from team to team in the years to come, he enjoyed a productive career as a serviceable role player. In 2018, he flirted with another ring before the Rockets blew a 3-2 series lead and were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals. Ariza came back to the Lakers for the 2021-22 season, but by that point, he was done being a viable NBA player. That turned out to be his swan song in the league.