NBA experts say that despite Doncic s contract renewal, it s hard to see the Lakers win the championship

According to Aikansh Choudhury, an American sports media NBA analysis network. With Luca Doncic renewing his contract, the Los Angeles Lakers' next goal is to win the NBA championship. The 2025-26 NBA season seems to be a great opportunity for the Los Angeles Lakers to realize this dream. After all, they have the likes of LeBron James, Austin Reeves and DeAndre Ayton on the list around Luka Doncic, who is now at the best of his career.

However, due to the competitive level of the Western Conference, it is easier said than done. Dennis conducted a reality test for the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though last season, the Lakers ended the regular season as the third seed in the West, they could only stick to five games in the playoffs. Of course, the Lakers have significantly improved their roster, but NBA expert Dennis reminds fans of the existence of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship roster.

"I'm having a hard time seeing this right now, and it's not anything to the Lakers. It's mainly because the Oklahoma City Thunder is in the league right now and is built to win the championship for the foreseeable future. If the Lakers want to figure out how to win the championship, they still have a lot of work to do," Dennis Jr. said via ESPN's First Take. He added: "LeBron James will be there this year, and we don't know what else will happen, right? So you have to build stars within the window of these three years and bring stars to Los Angeles, around Luca. And you have to figure out how to climb the peaks of Oklahoma City." Even if Doncic aspires to reach the NBA Finals as a member of the Lakers, the Thunder threat cannot be ignored.

David Dennis Jr. reminds fans that the Thunder core will continue to exist. Dennis Jr. later pointed out that the Thunder management has stars such as Shea Gilgers-Alexander, Jaylen Williams and Chet Homegren, who have locked in long-term contracts. "They re-signed everyone. The SGA was there, Jewway was there, Chett was there. They were young; they were healthy. They were in the picture for at least the next three years," he continued.

So, does this mean that the Lakers should give up their hope of competing for the championship? No. Dennis Jr. made a blueprint for the success of the iconic team over the next three seasons or so. "So if you're the Lakers, you have to keep that in mind. You have to think about it, it's not just Luca and LeBron after this year because we don't know what LeBron's future is. You have to figure out what we can build around Luca Doncic, who will be at the MVP level in the next few years. What can we build around him to make Los Angeles a true championship contender?"

Fortunately, General Manager Rob Pelinka has multiple upcoming contracts that can be used to further strengthen the roster this offseason. But at present, except for introducing Ayton and Smart, the Lakers' management has no other great achievements; if you want to win, you still need to strengthen it. What do you think?