Lakers bracing for Doncic to walk if title window stalls

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports the Lakers are aware Luka Doncic could leave once his current deal ends, and are trying to build around him accordingly. Windhorst said that awareness partly drove the offseason move to add a center.

Doncic is eligible for a five-year, roughly $417 million extension next summer, but he's only entering year one of the three-year, $165 million deal he signed last year, which carries a 2028-29 player option. Four of 24 ESPN NBA reporters polled predicted this would be his last season with the Lakers.