Luka Doncic's Reaction to Lakers' Moves Revealed in Latest Rumors After LeBron Exit, Kessler Trade

Luka Dončić is reportedly "excited" by an offseason that has seen the Los Angeles Lakers bring in Walker Kessler and keep Austin Reaves while losing LeBron James to free agency, according to The Athletic's Dan Woike.

"According to league sources, Luka Dončić 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," Woike reported.

According to Woike, the Lakers have "kept in regular communication with Dončić and his team" while Dončić was in Europe this summer.

The Lakers have also signed Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili while overhauling the roster this offseason.

The Lakers had previously re-signed Reaves to a four-year contract, establishing him as a member of the team's new core alongside Dončić.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin recently reported some people around the NBA are wondering if the Lakers are also planning to part ways with Jarred Vanderbilt or Deandre Ayton in order to re-sign Rui Hachimura.

Many of these changes have happened in the wake of a report from ESPN's Shams Charania that had informed the Lakers he would be leaving the franchise in free agency.

The Lakers had "expressed to James that they wanted him back" before the NBA's all-time leading scorer decided to depart, according to Charania.

Dončić bid farewell to his former teammate with an Instagram story in which he said it had been "an honor to play with and learn from" James.

The Lakers traded two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Utah Jazz in order to acquire Kessler and sign him to a four-year deal.

Dončić has reportedly been wanting the Lakers to add a center since around the time the team first acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks in February 2025, per NBA reporter Marc Stein.

Woike reported Wednesday that Kessler was "a player Dončić wanted at center most of all."

According to Woike, the Lakers were willing to give up future draft flexibility "for a player they believe fits 'perfectly' alongside Dončić and Austin Reaves."

The Lakers will now hope pairing Dončić with a star center will set up the team for success in the post-James era.