NBA Rumors: Lakers Confident Luka Doncic's 'Best Is Yet to Come' After Trade

Luka Dončić already has a handful of accolades to his name, but his new team believes he hasn't hit his peak.

Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, "there is a strong sense of confidence" within the Los Angeles Lakers that Dončić's "best is yet to come."

Dončić, 25, made his debut for the Lakers on Monday after the Dallas Mavericks traded him for Anthony Davis earlier this month.

Dončić has already been named to the All-NBA First Team five times and has made five All-Star appearances. His career average of 28.6 points per game is the third best all-time behind just Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Dončić made a strong case for his first MVP last season when he put up 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds per game. He's been extremely productive again this year, putting up 27.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists.

He was relatively quiet in his debut as he put up just 14 points on 5-of-14 from the field and 1-of-7 from deep, but that was to be expected after the star returned to the court for the first time since Christmas Day.

Once Dončić shakes off the rust and gets acclimated into the offense alongside LeBron James, the Lakers contending for a title could be a realistic outcome this season.

But Los Angeles wants Dončić to be more than just an asset for James in the final years of his career. The Lakers hope to make Dončić the next face of the franchise, just as James, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and other legends have been.

At just 25 years old, Dončić has more than enough time to cement himself among the greats that played for the Lake Show. He was on his way to becoming one of the greatest Mavericks of all time, but the team felt it was better off without him.

Now, Dončić will get to carve a new fate in Los Angeles.