The Luka Dončić era with the Lakers didn’t get off to a great start. Despite entering the 2025 NBA Playoffs as title contenders after finishing third in the Western Conference, they were eliminated in the first round. And Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson had something to say about it.

With the experience of having played 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships, and serving as the team’s general manager for two years, Magic Johnson is more than qualified to speak on Dončić’s trade and its impact.

When news broke that the Lakers had wasted no time in making a trade for the Slovenian point guard — a deal that saw Anthony Davis as the team’s main loss — Magic Johnson took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:
“Luka Dončić will definitely make the Lakers a championship contender. He’ll take pressure off LeBron with his scoring and playmaking ability, and he’ll make every Laker better.”

Everything seemed perfect for the Los Angeles Lakers with Dončić’s arrival. But after watching the team win just one game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Earvin Johnson issued a warning to Luka — a post that has now garnered over 608,000 views on X.

Magic Johnson’s Warning to Luka Dončić After His Move to the Lakers

Magic Johnson LeBron James Luka Doncic

Magic Johnson, LeBron James, and Luka Dončić. (Photo: Getty Images)

After Luka Dončić’s physical transformation, which surprised everyone in the NBA, Magic Johnson appeared on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’ and delivered a warning to the Slovenian point guard.

“It’s great what you did in Dallas (Mavericks). But the difference is, in Los Angeles, we expect championships. And we expect our superstars to lead us to a championship. LeBron has already done that. Now we want Luka to do the same thing,” said Magic.

.@MagicJohnson has a message for Luka Dončić 👀
“It’s great what you did in Dallas. But the difference is, in Los Angeles, we expect championships. And we expect our superstars to lead us to a championship. LeBron has already done that. Now we want Luka to do the same thing.”

LeBron James and Dončić Could Be Entering Their Final Season Together with the Lakers

According to ESPN journalist Shams Charania, LeBron James is not planning to retire from the NBA just yet, and the most likely decision regarding his future would be to exercise his player option worth over $52.6 million to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers for one more season. This means he likely won’t sign a longer extension — making the 2025–26 NBA season possibly his last alongside Luka Dončić.