After a blockbuster mid-season trade sent Doncic to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis, the new-look Lakers took some time to find their groove. They eventually started to click and made it through the Play-In Tournament, but couldn't pull off an upset against the Timberwolves in the first round. Doncic's first action in Purple and Gold was limited, and the production was a bit strange. When comparing his regular-season action with the Mavericks (22 games) and Lakers (28) last season, Doncic had a lower field-goal percentage but a higher three-point percentage with his new team. He also had more free-throw attempts and shot a higher percentage from the charity stripe. However, he turned the ball over more. The overall production in 2024-25 was still gaudy in relation to the rest of the league, but it was a significant drop compared to his final full year in Dallas, when he averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds in 2023-24. Doncic, Austin Reaves and newcomers Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart are the core players under contract through the next two years, while LeBron James will be operating on an expiring deal after picking up his $52.6 million player option for 2025-26. The front office is clearly pushing all of their chips into the middle to fit Doncic's timeline, and he's expected to be the franchise's future, though James' presence likely caps Doncic's fantasy upside. Surprisingly, Doncic has finished inside the top five in eight-category leagues only once in his seven-year career, and last season was the first time he failed to crack the top 15 since his rookie campaign.