Lakers fans took a big breath of relief earlier today. That’s because Luka Doncic put pen to paper and signed a three-year extension to remain with the Purple and Gold going forward. Not only that, but the Don is already focusing on getting into better shape for the 2025-26 season. What is one new component he knows that will help him on the way? New signee Marcus Smart.
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If you didn’t hear, Luka’s new deal will pay him $165 million over the next three seasons, and eliminated his player-option for the 2026-2027 season. He’s an LA boy now, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop that. Furthermore, he pledged his allegiance to the Purple and Gold with a new tweet on X.
“Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates, and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning,” he wrote along with his extension announcement.
Well, Doncic is already showing his excitement for championships by cutting nearly 20 pounds since the end of the Lakers’ 2025 playoff run. When speaking at a recent media conference, he was asked how his physical transformation would help him on the defensive end. Luka, being the coy superstar he is, not only said it would help immensely, but name-dropped Smart as a motivator.
“I think way better. Obviously we got Marcus, so he’s gonna teach me some things. But obviously that is going to help a lot,” the Slovenian stated.
Luka when asked how being in shape will impact his defense next season:
“Way better. Obviously we got Marcus, so he’s gonna teach me some things” pic.twitter.com/KMAG4ITLCg
— NBALakersReport (@NBALakersReport) August 2, 2025
He’s not wrong. Smart is a former DPOY winner and is going to provide some fantastic perimeter coverage for the Lakers next year, which is something they vastly needed during their 4-1 series loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round.
It also helped that Luka essentially recruited Smart on his own, something that both the media and Smart himself have confirmed. So if there was ever any doubt about Doncic’s dedication to his new squad, even though it was clear he wanted to remain in Dallas, you can put that to rest.
Not to mention how Luka’s weight loss journey has become a national story. He recently chatted with Men’s Fitness, where he opened up about how quickly he made that the focus once the Lakers were eliminated from the postseason.
“So every summer I try my best to work on different things,” he stated. “Obviously, I’m very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.” This included Luka going on a gluten-free zero zero-sugar diet, on top of some extensive physical exercises.
“Obviously, be the best that I can be, take care of myself,” The Don added. “This year, with my team, I think we did a huge step. But this is just the start, you know. I need to keep going. Can’t stop.”
One thing is certain. For every analyst, fan, or even NBA player who poked fun at Luka’s size last season. You just awoke a sleeping giant. Overweight Luka was still a Top 5 player in the league. What comes next? We’ll just have to wait and see.
