Getting out of the first round of the playoffs would be an arrival moment for Luka Doncic.
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Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots a free throw against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Luka Doncic has officially committed to what borders on a long-term future with the Los Angeles Lakers. His 2026-27 player option has been replaced by a new three-year commitment that all but guarantees that he’ll be with the team through 2027-28.
As Doncic looks to maximize the next three seasons before free agency looms large once again in 2028, there’s one goal that has become a minimum standard for 2025-26: Win a playoff series.No organization sets loftier goals than Los Angeles, thus making a Round 1 victory an admittedly underwhelming goal in the grander scheme. The 17-time NBA champions are far removed from the level of greatness expected of them, however, thus requiring this simple dream to be realized.
Los Angeles won a championship as recently as 2020, but it’s won a first-round series just twice since 2012.
With two trips beyond the first round in 13 years, the Lakers must get realistic about how they can return to prominence. This isn’t the same team that won five championships between 2000 and 2010, nor is it even the non-champion that won six first-round series during the 1990s.
If Doncic is going to help the Lakers get back to who they used to be, then the process will begin with leading the team to a first-round series win in 2026—a minimum standard that must be met.
Doncic is no stranger to postseason success, which offers a degree of optimism entering the 2025-26 season. He led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2022 Western Conference Finals alongside Jalen Brunson, and guided the franchise to the 2024 NBA Finals with Kyrie Irving.
During the latter run, Doncic was in generational form, leading Dallas in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and three-point field goals made during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Doncic also led Dallas beyond the first round of the playoffs in two of his final three completed seasons with the franchise. That seemingly implies that he’s up to the task of proving Los Angeles isn’t the pretender many believe them to be considering how difficult it’s been for the franchise to win a single series.
Erasing that reputation would go a long way toward allowing the franchise to rewrite the narrative that’s undoubtedly haunting them.
Doncic may not have an All-NBA guard working alongside him as he did with Brunson and Irving, but talent and upside are key elements of Los Angeles’ roster. LeBron James is coming off of an All-NBA Second Team campaign and Austin Reaves bordered on All-Star production in 2024-25.
Los Angeles has also added a former No. 1 pick at center in Deandre Ayton and the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart to a rotation that produced 50 wins last season.
In the event that Doncic meets the minimum standard of leading Los Angeles beyond the first round, the franchise can enter the next stage of its retooling with a newfound confidence. Furthermore, it can offer more than an optimistic outlook to potential free agents and provide its current core with a platform to prove whether or not they can provide championship-caliber minutes against a true contender in Round 2.
The Lakers’ goal will always be to win a championship, but if Doncic can get them out of the first round for just the third time in 14 years. the process of contending can truly begin.