The private meeting that made Luka Doncic the face of the Los Angeles Lakers

Published 1 day ago• 2 minute read

Following a blockbuster trade that stunned the league, GM has unveiled a detailed plan to build a championship contender around the 26-year-old Slovenian superstar.

Just four days after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the , and his agent sat down for dinner with and newly appointed head coach at , a high-end restaurant in West Hollywood.

reported ,

The dinner included discussions about the complexities of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, such as the and maintaining cap flexibility to acquire an to pair with .

reportedly brought a thick binder filled with offseason strategies—a gesture he once reserved for meetings with . Now, it’s name on the front cover.

This shift in focus has been evident since , when the Lakers shocked the NBA by acquiring from the in a franchise-altering deal.

The front office wasted no time in making moves, including an attempted trade for young center , which ultimately collapsed after a failed physical.

🔔 According to Basketball Sphere and @matty_vanpersie , Olympiacos and Vasilije Micic are very close to reaching an agreement on a three-year deal.
🔥 Olympiacos is confident that the deal will be finalized soon.
Read the full story:https://t.co/toMZUPiFAD
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) July 12, 2025

Last week, the Lakers addressed their need at center by signing in free agency. With now the cornerstone, the Lakers no longer feel the urgency of a rapidly closing title window—they’re building with patience and purpose.

Meanwhile, future with the franchise remains uncertain, despite exercising his player option. Tensions reportedly rose when was briefed about the agreement to sell a majority stake in the franchise to billionaire , while was left out of the loop.

wrote and in their ESPN feature,

During introductory media appearance, he was asked if he’d been contacted by either or :

“Not really yet, but I definitely got a text from Luka,” he replied.

The silence from LeBron’s camp—combined with the front office’s growing focus on Doncic—marks the beginning of a new chapter in Lakers history. The franchise is now fully committed to building around its 26-year-old superstar.