The Los Angeles Lakers have made Luka Doncic the unquestioned face of their franchise. The stunning midseason trade opened the door for an exciting post-LeBron James era in LA, and the franchise has wasted no time. From letting Luka recruit talent to the Lakers to celebrating his contract extension with a trip to Vegas, everything is about number 77 now.
The facts have already created some uncomfortable moments with LeBron. The Lakers did not pursue a contract extension and appear comfortable letting King James play out the final season of his contract. They want cap flexibility moving forward to build around Luka, even with LeBron still playing at an All-NBA level.