Magic Johnson Co-Signs Idea of Mavs' Luka Doncic Joining Anthony Davis, Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson jokingly suggested the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic should head to L.A. in the future so he can link up with Anthony Davis.

Johnson was discussing Davis' probable decision of re-signing with the Lakers so the franchise can defend the title it won Sunday night by defeating the Miami Heat when the topic of Doncic, one of the NBA's newest superstars, popped up on ESPN's First Take.

"Aye that's right, Luka come on to the Lakers, I like that," Johnson said Monday (via CBS Sports' Jasmyn Wimbish).

The remark came at the urging of First Take co-host Max Kellerman suggesting potential running mates for Davis after LeBron James eventually retires.

Johnson had originally said "we're not worried about Luka [and the Mavericks] right now."

The 61-year-old Hall of Famer served as the Lakers' president from February 2017 through April 2019, when he resigned the role.

He'd drawn criticism and league punishment for his willingness to discuss players under contract with other teams, including a $500,000 fine for the Lakers' organization related to comments he and general manager Rob Pelinka made about then-Indiana Pacers forward Paul George in 2017.

"I want to go back to having fun," Johnson told reporters after stepping down. "I want to go back to being who I was before taking on this job."

No longer bound by anti-tampering rules, he can once again publicly recruit for the Lakers.

That said, Johnson's comments about Doncic were more light-hearted than serious. The standout point guard can't even become a restricted free agent until 2022, and the Mavs will likely offer him a monster contract extension. Even if he hits the open market, Dallas would likely match any offer sheet in a heartbeat.

James, 35, hasn't shown any signs of slowing down anyway. He continues to play at an MVP level and needs to win two more titles to match Michael Jordan, a key benchmark in the conversation about the greatest basketball player in history.