Sources: Luka Doncic is 'excited' about Lakers' moves so far
· Yahoo Sports
Ever since coming to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025, Luka Doncic has wanted them to go out and obtain a defensive-minded, rim-running center who is a lob threat. They did exactly that on Wednesday when they agreed to send two future first-round draft picks and two pick swaps to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler.
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Just minutes after agreeing to that trade, the Lakers agreed to deals with big man Sandro Mamukelashvili and guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton. They still have a sizable hole at the forward position and perhaps in terms of a true backup center, but they made the substantial upgrade at the 5 they needed to make, and they have at least somewhat upgraded in the speed and 3-point shooting departments.
Per Dan Woike of The Athletic, Doncic likes what L.A. has done so far this summer.
"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.
"Those sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been completed, said the Lakers kept in regular communication with Dončić and his team despite a significant time gap, with the star guard spending his summer in Europe."
Since Doncic's arrival, the team has been pinpointing this summer as its first real opportunity to truly shape and build a roster around and for him. LeBron James is now in the past tense for the Lakers, and they also lost guards Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart this week in free agency, which opened up space for Mamukelashvili, Grimes and Sexton, not to mention Kessler.
While they have no more tradable first-round draft picks and are out of salary cap space, they have the contracts of Deandre Ayton ($8.1 million), Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jake LaRavia ($6 million), Dalton Knecht ($4.2 million) and Bronny James ($2.3 million) to try to use in a trade for a player or perhaps for incoming draft picks. The younger James' contract for this coming season became fully guaranteed on Monday.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Sources: Luka Doncic is 'excited' about Lakers' moves so far