Lakers Could Face Competition to Retain Luka Doncic From East Contender

The Los Angeles Lakers acquired arguably the biggest star in the NBA, Luka Dončić.

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After spending six-plus years as a Dallas Mavericks, Dončić will now don the purple and gold, and the hope is that he remains a Laker for the rest of his career.

While the Lakers would love to keep Doncic for the rest of his career, he could become an unrestricted free agent for the first time after the 2025-26 season.

Dončić has a chance to become a free agent in the summer of 2026, and if he does just that, the Lakers will have some competition to retain him.

Many teams will line up the blick for Dončić, but none may be a bigger threat than Eastern Conference powerhouse the Miami Heat.

Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports reported in his latest column.

“One of the two teams that’s long been rumored as his potential destination if he were to ever leave Dallas. It was always Lakers and Heat, always Lakers and Heat. For years, that’s what it’s been. I’ve always heard Luka loves the weather in Miami. He loves the franchise there.”

REPORT: Luka Doncic is very fond of the Miami Heat franchise, per @KevinOConnorNBA

“One of the two teams that’s long been rumored as his potential destination if he were to ever leave Dallas. It was always Lakers and Heat, always Lakers and Heat. For years, that’s what it’s… pic.twitter.com/YmPfXt0POg
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 3, 2025

The Heat, along with the Lakers, are a top free-agent destination. Miami, like Los Angeles, has everything a player or ordinary person would want in life.

The Heat have established themselves as a top team and organization in the league over the last two decades.

If that is the case, the Lakers will do all they can to keep the 25-year-old star.

The plan now is to keep Dončić until he retires and build the best team possible to win multiple championships, with the Slovenian native leading the way.

The Lakers may not be the Lakers of old under Jeanie Buss; however, if there is one thing they do right, it is take care of their stars.

L.A. will do all they can to keep Dončić in the purple and gold, and while the Heat could be a threat, it will be no one but the Lakers' fault that they would not be able to keep him.

The Heat may look for a new face for the franchise soon, as Jimmy Butler may be on the move sooner rather than later.

This season, Dončić has appeared in 22 games (all starts), averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals in 35.7 minutes. In 422 career NBA regular season games (all starts) across seven campaigns with Dallas (2018-25), Dončić has averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in 34.9 minutes.

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