The Lakers sale offers another speed bump of instability for Luka Doncic

Welcome to Los Angeles, Luka Doncic. 

I know you were upset about The Trade, but now you can decompress amid the stability of one of the greatest brands in sports. You’ve joined the darlings of the NBA. The 17-time champions. It’s all sunshine, sea breezes and engraved diamond rings from here on forward. 

Or is it?

Eighteen months ago, Doncic had the rug pulled from under him after believing he would spend his entire career in Dallas. The last 14 months? 

There have been two ownership changes with the Lakers. The Buss family agreed to sell the franchise to Mark Walter in June 2025, and then Walter sold the team to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner this week. 

What does this mean for Luka? 

Well, he went from tossing his phone across the room amid the betrayal and bewilderment of being perhaps the only top-four player in his mid-20s who was blindsided by a trade, to likely squinting with surprise while reading the stunning news (twice!) on his damaged screen about his new franchise. 

Iger and Kushner may not have experience guiding a team to a championship, but here’s to hoping they’re quick learners. 

Dončić signed a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension that includes a player option for the 2028-2029 season. That means he could leave after next season if he wants. This much is for sure: His short-lived tenure with the Lakers hasn’t exactly been a model of stability. 

The superstar acknowledged that much while reacting to Wednesday’s news. 

“Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA,” he wrote. “I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together.”

While players and ownership are typically pretty siloed, Doncic needs to know that the Lakers will be on a championship course. Iger is the former CEO of Disney. Kushner is a venture capitalist and the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

Right now, we have more questions than answers. 

Are there going to be major changes to the front office? Are there going to be shifts in strategy? What the heck is going on? 

Under Walter, the Lakers had a sense of direction. He helped guide the Dodgers to three World Series championships after buying the team in 2012. The Lakers had oversight from Dodgers’ brass. New front office positions were created. There was a marked shift towards data and analytics. 

It’s unclear what the plan will be going forward. 

That must be destabilizing for Doncic, who deeply values continuity. He wanted to become one of the few NBA players who finished his career where it began. All of this change is dizzying. 

Right now his focus is on making the Lakers a championship organization once again. LeBron James left in free agency. The Lakers are his. 

It’s a responsibility he’s taking seriously. 

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He’s hosting a four-day mini camp in Slovenia next week. He’s paying for his teammates’ travel expenses. He had significant influence over the Lakers’ roster moves this summer, including the blockbuster acquisition of Walker Kessler. He’s doing everything he can to build chemistry. 

But there’s a lot of background noise. 

After 47 years of ownership by the Buss family, the Lakers are once again undergoing a major shakeup. They’re front and center in the news. There are so many unknowns. 

Dončić is at the center of the storm. He’s going to shoulder the blame if the Lakers fall short next season. Fingers are going to point at him. 

He’s doing his part.

Doncic was the league’s leading scorer last season. He carried the Lakers on a 16-2 run last spring, averaging a stunning 37.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game over that stretch. If he hadn’t suffered a strained hamstring that sidelined him during the playoffs, who knows how far the Lakers could’ve gone.

The Lakers are doing their part, too. They immediately made Doncic their priority after acquiring him, even with James on the roster. They added the personnel Doncic wanted. He has seemed happy.

But he needs to be assured that he has the proper infrastructure around him. 

And over the last two years, the only thing he has known for sure is that everything around him keeps crumbling.

Here’s to hoping Iger and Kushner put some solid ground underneath him. 

Or else it’s fair to wonder if the Lakers might have to brace for yet another shakeup.