"Luka and Bronny James to takeover Soon": Fans buzz over Lakers reportedly eyeing Luka Doncic as LeBron James' replacement

Basketball fans were buzzing after a report claimed that the LA Lakers are eyeing Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic as LeBron James' potential replacement after the latter eventually decides to hang up his boots.

According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, the Lakers are already thinking about the future without LeBron.

"I've reported on this podcast and on The Ringer how they have their sights set for Luka (Doncic) in the future," Kevin said during The Mismatch (0:50 mark) episode on Friday.

"We'll see if that works out. Dallas just made a Finals, Dallas is looking better than ever with their supporting cast. That may not work out, but the Lakers by not trading their future picks clearly are still thinking long-term at this point. They're not going all in like you might expect many teams to do with James," he added.

The hoops fans reacted candidly to Kevin's commentary, with a few fans dropping a sarcastic reaction by bringing LeBron James' son Bronny James into the conversation.

"It’s about time.. Luka and Bronny James to Takeover Soon," commented a fan.

"He plays the same position as Bronny...dont think they have room for him wish such a superstar like Bronny," another fan said.

A few fans dismissed the idea of Doncic turning down huge amounts of money from the Mavericks to play for the Lakers.

"First of all, that ain’t happening. Luka is t turning down a max extension of $500 mill from Dallas. Second, he’s not going to want to come play with a bunch of scrubs. AD will be old at that point," a fan wrote.

"The only way that happens is if Luka is a part owner of the team. Don’t see him ever coming to LA for any other reason," commented another fan.

Another fan predicted how many championships the Lakers would win with Doncic.

"He would probably get two or three Laker championships compared to the one for LeBron, And we’d spend the rest of our living days explaining to certain fans what that means."

Another X user slammed the Lakers organization.

"Lakers are the most delusional organization in the NBA."

LeBron James' contract with the Lakers

Earlier in July, LeBron James signed a two-year, $101.35 million deal with the Lakers. The four-time NBA champion is expected to remain with the 17-time champions at least until 2026. On the flip side, Luka Doncic is eligible for the largest contract in NBA history.

Talking about LeBron, the four-time NBA Finals MVP has shown no signs of slowing down and is still playing at an extremely high level despite being 39 years old.

The Lakers superstar secured the MVP award at the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics after leading Team USA to the gold medal.