Report: Luka Doncic's Future With LA Lakers is Emerging

According to reports, one of the reasons the Dallas Mavericks weren't able to extract everything including the kitchen sink from the Los Angeles Lakers in the blockbuster Luka Doncic deal, was because the Lakers didn't get an opportunity to talk to Doncic's camp to gauge his "appetite" to remain in LA long-term. 

With LeBron James now on the wrong side of 40, it was certainly hoped that the 25-year-old Slovenian would be the future of the Lakers franchise. But they couldn't know for sure. 

Now, according to insiders Fred Katz, Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic, we're learning that Doncic is indeed "ecstatic" to be in LA, and this could be the start of a beautiful relationship. 

Now that the trade is official, answers are emerging. Dončić is ecstatic about joining the Lakers, and all early signs point to a long-term future with the team, a league source said.

The two sides did not want to get any of the players or agents involved in the talks, as they were afraid it would be leaked to the public, and if the deal didn't go through, the teams would be left with a PR nightmare surrounding their respective star players. 

Doncic will undoubtedly be happy as the face of the Lakers, though the Athletic story indicates that his heart was definitely in Dallas. 

"A league source close to Dončić said he wanted to be in Dallas his entire career, which Dončić himself essentially said in the goodbye note to the city he posted to social media on Sunday: 'I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship.'"

Now, the script has been flipped, and he'll be trying to bring one to Hollywood instead.