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Jeanie Buss attends the Los Angeles Clippers & Comcast NBCUniversal’s NBA All-Star Legendary Tip-Off Celebration at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on February 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Governor Jeanie Buss has made it clear that the Los Angeles Lakers are now Luka Doncic’s team, and every move the franchise makes henceforth will be in the best interests of the Slovenian superstar.
“The partnership will give us the stability to continue to move forward as we build towards a team around Luka Doncic, who is the No. 1 vote-getter in the All-Star game, Buss told CNBC Sport’s Alex Sherman.
“We couldn’t be more proud that he is a Laker. He is a young all-star that the fans love to see.”
Buss then spoke at length about why Doncic’s playing style and passing wizardry make him a box-office draw for Lakers fans worldwide.
Luka Doncic: ‘An Illusionist’
“Luka is one of those players you need to see in person,” said Buss.
“The stuff that he does, in terms of the passing and how he sees the game, he’s almost an illusionist,” Buss said of Doncic. “I think that’s where he got the name ‘Luka Magic‘ and certainly we know that comes from Magic Johnson.”
Further to Buss’ point, the fact that Doncic led the NBA All-Star voting this year — and also topped jersey sales, social media engagement and YouTube views — indicates that young fans have gravitated toward him, which bodes well for the Lakers’ future.
History suggests that when you’re the face of the Lakers, you’re most likely also the face of the NBA. Case in point: Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Now, Doncic is entrusted with carrying the torch, and Buss is confident he can.
Lakers Enter Luka Doncic Era
“I think Laker fans have a lot to look forward to,” Buss said of the Doncic era.
“We’re about winning and wanting to add more trophies.”
The Lakers are unlikely to raise Banner No. 18 this year, but could have a realistic chance in the coming years when they build their roster around Doncic. This offseason, the Lakers are projected to have in excess of $50M in cap space, and that’s even after the $20.9M free agent cap hold for Austin Reaves, Doncic’s backcourt mate.
The Rob Pelinka-led front office will reportedly pursue defensive-minded wings and centers via both free agency and trades, with names such as Peyton Watson, Andrew Wiggins, Dean Wade, Tari Eason, Tobias Harris and Quentin Grimes earmarked as potential targets by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The Lakers are also reportedly gearing up to get in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes by using their three tradeable first-round picks and ample cap space.
“The Lakers, team sources told ESPN, obviously see the appeal in Antetokounmpo and believe they would be one of the teams on a very short list if the Bucks star asks for a trade out of Milwaukee,” McMenamin reported on Tuesday.
“A Western Conference executive told ESPN he believes Antetokounmpo is the “big prize” the Lakers hope to land, should the Milwaukee Bucks decide to trade the 2021 NBA Finals MVP in the offseason.”
If Antetokounmpo plays out the 2026-27 season with the Bucks, he could test free agency in 2027, when the Lakers are projected to be flush with cap space.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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