Luka Doncic is preparing for his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The superstar forward was traded to the franchise in a shock move ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
General manager Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office knew they were taking a risk, as Doncic only had one additional guaranteed year on his contract. That’s why the Lakers have been so proactive in building a team around Doncic’s skill set and involving him in the new additions to the roster. They want him to re-sign.
2008 NBA champion Brian Scalabrine, speaking via Sirius XM NBA Dash Radio on July 28, shared his belief that the Lakers have challenged Doncic to get into shape.
“I do believe that Luka will sign an extension for the Lakers,” Scalabrine said. “…I also believe that the Lakers told him, ‘We’re not giving you an extension unless you get into shape.’… I don’t have any sources on that or anything like that, but I know that JJ Redick talked about it. I would assume that Rob Pelinka and the new ownership of the Lakers are like, ‘We want to pay you. We want to give you the keys to the franchise. We want to get Deandre Ayton that you want, and Marcus Smart. But you owe us something too. And you owe us taking care of your body. No more drinking and fried foods and whatever you did before … You’re a world-class player. Let’s get you in world-class shape.'”
