Luka Doncic’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers continues to see prominent changes at the top of the organization’s hierarchy. Before he began his first full season last summer following his shocking trade, Mark Walter took over as the team’s majority owner in a $10 billion deal. In a surprising turn of events, Walter sold his stake to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner a year later for $12.5 billion.
The latest controversy hit the franchise on Monday as Jeanie Buss reportedly opposed the sale of her stake by contesting her siblings’ vote. If Buss loses the case, she will no longer be the Governor of the Lakers. Amid this saga, CBS NBA reporter Sam Quinn warned that it could lead to Doncic leaving in 2028 when he could become an unrestricted free agent.
Replying to an X post in which a fan raised concerns of Doncic forcing a trade to Dallas, Quinn wrote:
“Luka is a free agent in 2028, which means the Lakers will approach him for an extension in 2027. We’ll see what he does. Dallas is by far the better basketball situation. Cooper Flagg is more valuable than the entire Laker roster combined. This drama doesn’t help the Laker case.”
Quinn believes Doncic will be enticed by the prospects of pairing with Cooper Flagg, who may be more valuable than the Lakers roster combined. Flagg was considered as Doncic’s replacement. In his rookie season, the 2025 No. 1 pick showed that he was one of the most NBA-ready prospects the league has seen.
Even outside of Flagg, the Mavericks are building a decent core under new front-office leadership of Masai Ujiri and coach Dusty May. If the Lakers don’t find significant collective success over the next couple of seasons and ownership changes continue, it won’t be surprising to see Doncic prefer a reunion in Dallas.
Luka Doncic said he’s used to “big changes” after Lakers ownership changed hands
If there’s one player who found out how unpredictable NBA business can be, it’s Luka Doncic. His move to the Lakers was arguably the most surprising trade of all time. He had led the Mavericks to the finals a year ago, and the team had improved on the margins to equip themselves for another run at the championship.
However, Dallas pulled the plug on it by trading the head of the snake, Doncic, for an aging Anthony Davis, whom they believed was more reliable to lead the Mavericks to a title.
In his first address to the Lakers fans after Bob Iger and Josh Kushner agreed to buy the team from Mark Walter on Aug. 12, Doncic reminded everyone that he’s no stranger to “big changes”:
In his first address to the Lakers fans after Bob Iger and Josh Kushner agreed to buy the team from Mark Walter on Aug. 12, Doncic reminded everyone that he’s no stranger to “big changes”:
“Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA. I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together.”
It remains to be seen whether Luka Doncic changes his stance if Jeanie Buss leaves the organization and is replaced by a new governor.
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