Could Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić’s much-hyped redemption arc fall flat in 2025-26?
After a turbulent 2024-25 campaign marked by injury and a midseason trade that shocked the world, Dončić enters this year under the expectation that he’ll return to his elite form and — alongside LeBron James — have the Lakers contending at the highest level.
However, lingering questions about Luka and the Lakers prompted Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes to temper enthusiasm on Thursday surrounding Dončić’s potential bounce-back year.
“It’s almost impossible to play better than Luka Dončić did during the first six seasons of his career,” Hughes wrote.
“After winning Rookie of the Year, he finished no worse than eighth in MVP voting and made the All-NBA first team in each of the next five campaigns. The hiccup happened in 2024-25, when he started the season injured, concerns about his conditioning intensified and the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he looked sluggish and posted the worst Box Plus/Minus since his rookie year.”
“Dončić’s outlook is complicated,” Hughes continued. “Should we buy the hype that he’s finally in shape because a calculated PR push and some tasteful airbrushing say we should? Is it possible last year was the catalyst that turns Dončić into the best version of himself? Perhaps.”
“Dončić is firmly in “prove it” territory when it comes to his health and conditioning,” Hughes added.
“He also enters a season with some tricky vibes, as LeBron James’ diminished importance to the Lakers could create an uncomfortable dynamic. James didn’t get an extension over the summer and has no experience as his team’s second most important player. Lastly, Los Angeles didn’t use its remaining draft picks and assets to swing a win-now trade that would surround Dončić with more supporting talent. The Lakers had a solid offseason, but they definitely didn’t push their chips in. Dončić has been a professional basketball player for over a decade, if you count his European career. Nobody seems to be considering the possibility that we’ve already seen the best of him.”
It would be mighty disappointing for NBA fans as a whole if Dončić has indeed already played his best basketball. It would also be an abnormal outcome for a 26-year-old athlete, regardless of how many miles Luka has put on his tires through his career, which saw him playing for Real Madrid as a teenager.
Luka’s body might not be built for another ten years of excellence, but on the other hand, Hughes’ suggestion that Dončić’s physical decline is already in motion might be a tad far-fetched.