The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be targeting the 2027 offseason as the summer they can take a gigantic swing to really lift up the post-LeBron James, Luka Doncic-led era of L.A. basketball.
That’s something that appears strange at first, and then you look at who might be available then, and his name is Nikola Jokic.
Jokic can opt-out of his contract after the 2026-27 season, so buckle up.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus broke down all the tendrils to this situation recently, and it’s certainly complicated.
The basic thought, though, is that if Denver feels like Jokic is heading toward the opt-out, they’d probably try to trade him first and recoup some sort of value for their superstar.
And if that happens, Luka Doncic is the selling point that the Lakers have.
“The hope is that Jokić’s bond with Dončić is why he picks the Lakers,” Pincus writes. “Denver would get most of what the Lakers have in terms of young players and draft compensation.”
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A Doncic-Jokic core, no matter who is around them, is an instant title contender.
Pincus also throws out the wild idea that the Nuggets could try to trade for Doncic to keep Jokic happy.
“Jokić does have a strong relationship with the Lakers’ star,” Pincus writes. “The thinking is that Dončić isn’t the kind of player who prioritizes living in a big city like Los Angeles. Even if Dončić does sign an extension this offseason, Denver might be able to jump in at the right time should Dončić eventually become unhappy in L.A.”
Maybe some of this feels a tad over the top, but the NBA specializes in such deals.
After all, did anyone see Doncic being traded from the Mavs to the Lakers in the middle of the season?
So don’t rule anything out, including a deal one way or the other that results in Jokic and Doncic as teammates.
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