Lakers Promised Luka Doncic His Own “Dallas 2.0” to Chase Another Finals

Now that LeBron James is no longer a part of the Los Angeles Lakers, the team has pivoted towards building around Luka Doncic.

In the past, their focus was to find players who would complement ‘The King’. Now they need players who can feed off and play alongside the Slovenian.

Where James was a monster driving down the lane and could bully opposing players into committing errors, the 6’7″ guard plays with a soft touch around the rim.

He cannot beat his opponents athletically, but he can do so with his intelligence and his skill with the ball. That explains why the Lakers decided to bring in players who can complement that style.

Quinten Grimes, Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Jaden Hardy, and even rookie Cameron Carr arrived. They may not sound like top-of-the-line acquisitions, but what they can do is complement Doncic.

It’s really about reinventing this team around Luka Doncic, and building the kind of team that Dallas had in his last couple of years… They just really want to make Dallas 2.0. They feel like they can succeed with a backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves… if they can get the right type of players in the frontcourt.

Chris Mannix said on Run It Back

This means that the Lakers were focused on building what helped Luka Doncic in that 2024 run to the finals. He was, no doubt, the main man, but also needed complementary pieces who would help him reach that goal.

The Lakers want to make Dallas 2.0 this offseason 👀

"They feel like they can succeed with a backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves…if they can get the right type of players in the frontcourt." – @SIChrisMannix@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/uaSL2CSn7J

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 4, 2026

In that run, he had Kyrie Irving and a bunch of players who would do what was necessary. It seems they are building along the same lines with Austin Reaves as Doncic’s partner.

Luka Doncic excited for Lakers’ additions

Dallas 2.0 is not complete yet, but with the way GM Rob Pelinka has been attacking free agency, he might be on the verge of creating a team that Luka Doncic can thrive with.

Once Rui Hachumura finds another team, there is a chance that the Lakers will use the remaining cap space to fill out the remaining spots. But it seems the work done so far has left the six-time All-NBA first-teamer ‘excited.’

According to league sources, Luka Doncic was ‘excited’ about the Lakers’ signings, with the team addressing his biggest desires for the roster by keeping Austin Reaves and getting an elite rim-protecting center in Kessler.

Dan Woike revealed in The Athletic

No wonder the father of two has been busy enjoying his off days on a jet ski. While LeBron James ponders about his future, Doncic is aware of what Pelinka is doing.

Getting players who are very close to the 2023-24 Dallas Mavericks will be an indication that he could at least go as far as the NBA Finals. Maybe once his GM finds a replacement for the departed Deandre Ayton, the process should be complete.

Luka Doncic’s newest teammate gets engaged to Miss America

Getting rising young star Walker Kessler was a major win for both Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers. The 24-year-old has the potential to be great if given the right amount of coaching.

He has the size and the quickness to go up against some of the other elite big men in the league, but needs work on his skills to be successful.

For that to happen, he will need to avoid any distraction that comes his way, and one of the ways to do that is to address it in the offseason.

The 7’2″ center announced his engagement to girlfriend Abbie Stockard on July 4th on Instagram. After being set up by his mother, the Auburn alum courted the 2025 Miss America pageant winner and is now slated to get married in the future.

Also Read:

• Draymond Green Warns Lakers About the True Impact of Losing LeBron James
• LeBron James Joining the Knicks Ended After 2026 Championship Win, Reveals Rich Paul