By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a defining era under Luka Doncic’s leadership.
During a press conference on Thursday, president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka made it clear that the franchise is moving forward with the reigning scoring champion as their centerpiece.
“Luka’s the world’s greatest offensive player and for us to be able to have an opportunity as a franchise, to have that player in our building every night as a 26-year-old is special and it requires us to do special things to build the team around him,” stated the 56-year-old executive.
Following LeBron James’ departure in free agency, the front office spent the offseason restructuring the roster, including re-signing Austin Reaves and securing Georgian forward-center Sandro Mamukelashvili.
The groundwork for this new-look squad actually began in Slovenia, where Doncic hosted a player-led minicamp. He chartered a plane and covered all expenses to bring his teammates to his home country, where they practiced in Ljubljana.
Pelinka shared that the gesture deeply resonated with the roster. “At the end of the trip, each player took the time to write a handwritten note and then present it to Luka to thank him,” he revealed.
Head coach JJ Redick, who joined Doncic for golf in Europe ahead of the camp, called it a great team-building exercise. Redick mentioned that the energy from the trip has already carried over into competitive workouts back home.
Furthermore, Pelinka expects roster evaluations to continue until opening night, even hinting at potential consolidation trades.
Following Monday’s preseason media day, the Lakers play five exhibition games before tipping off the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season against the Golden State Warriors in crypto.com Arena on October 21.
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