An encouraging update on Luka Doncic's future with the Los Angeles Lakers should make fans extremely happy.
The Los Angeles Lakers may have had a disappointing end to their season, after being upset by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, but the team's future will ultimately be decided by one big decision from Luka Doncic this offseason. Fortunately for Lakers fans, it appears Luka may be coming around to commit to Los Angeles in the long term.
According to a recent report from ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Luka is fully committed to the Lakers and that his goal now is to win "championships" for the franchise. These are certainly strong words that should be proven true over the next few months. As an extension-eligible player this summer, if Luka is indeed fully committed to the Lakers, he should be preparing to sign a long-term extension with the team.
Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but it's certainly one thing that Lakers fans will keep a close eye on. Nevertheless, at least for now, it does seem as if Luka is trending toward signing that extension, and if he does, Lakers' fans should be overjoyed with how all this has played out over the last few months.
How the Lakers can continue to build around Luka Doncic
The Lakers won't have complete flexibility until LeBron James retires and his salary comes off the books. However, the team does need to find a way to improve the frontcourt. That was one of the team's biggest weaknesses against the Wolves in their postseason matchup. I'm not sure if upgrading the frontcourt is going to be the Lakers' only priority heading into the offseason, but it does seem as if it is the most natural path toward improving the roster.
Unless, of course, the Lakers would come around to the idea of trading Austin Reaves. If the Lakers were to open themselves up to that possibility, it would add another intriguing element to the summer. The first priority for Los Angeles will revolve around locking up Luka heading into the future.
Once that is done or sorted out, upgrading the roster one way or another will be at the forefront of the team's plans. The future is bright for the Lakers. And if these recent Luka updates are accurate, there's no reason why the fan base shouldn't be hopeful for the future.