The NBA, like water, is in constant flux. Few things serve as a better reminder of that than how quickly Luka Doncic managed to convince Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers front office to reposition their stance on the direction of the franchise.
Earlier in the offseason, the rumor mill was confidently suggesting the Lakers would be content to take things slow and ease themselves into the Doncic era. That is no longer the case.
The Slovenian superstar looked so dominant at EuroBasket 2025 that the Lakers could not ignore what was in front of them. That, of course, would be the opportunity to win it all. Jake Fischer strongly supported this sentiment during a recent live stream for Bleacher Report.
Fischer said, "Luka Doncic being spry, dominant, leading a very undermanned Slovenia team deep into the tournament has definitely emboldened the Lakers to soften their stance that they're not going to be so aggressive in adding reinforcements to this Lakers team."
Lakers taking the right approach in building around Luka Doncic
Fischer reminded everyone that both his Substack partner, Marc Stein, and Dan Woike of The Athletic have painted a very clear picture of the evolution in the Lakers' positioning. The NBA insider then called Los Angles 'eager to look for opportunities to add two-ways wings.'
The choice of words there is encouraging. As would be Fischer confirming that Andrew Wiggins will continue to be someone brought up as a Lakers trade target until the NBA trade deadline in February.
Even if the Miami Heat forward is not ultimately the one who lands in Los Angeles in the wake of these trade rumors, there are still plenty of strong alternatives to consider. The main takeaway should be the willingness to be aggressive and seek out those opportunities from Pelinka's end.
Lakers fans need no convincing on the matter, but that is absolutely the right approach. Allowing an MVP-level talent like Doncic to go without ample support is a ludicrous thought. That is especially true when the superstar point guard played so well at EuroBasket 2025 that many would be forgiven for second-guessing whether Nikola Jokic was still the best player on the planet.
Doncic averaged 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 2.7 steals in just 33.3 minutes per game for Slovenia. The Lakers superstar received consideration for not only tournament MVP, but the inaugural Best Defensive Player award.
The team success had him falling short of both. Pelinka should not want a similar outcome with the Lakers. The foundation is there for Doncic to lead Los Angeles to considerable heights in 2025-26. However, the front office needs to do their part. The willingness appears to be there.