When you think about winning a title, the ultimate goal in the NBA, Luka Dončić is probably not the first name that comes to mind. However, in his basketball life, he’s found a lot of success at the top.

He won the Liga ACB championship three times as a part of Real Madrid, won the EuroLeague title back in 2018 and, just last year, took the Mavericks to the NBA Finals.

Now, his life has been turned upside down and he’s landed in Southern California. He’s only played in four games for the Lakers, but his most recent game, a win against the Nuggets, was his best yet.

He led the Lakers in points, rebounds and tied with Austin Reaves for the most assists. After the team’s dominant win, he made it clear that he sees this team as a legitimate contender right now.

“Our goal is to win a championship and that’s our only goal,” Luka said. “I think we have the team for that. Obviously, the chemistry with me and the guys is going to take a little time still. But, like you saw today, I think it’s getting better and better.”

Luka knows what winning looks like and already sees it on this team. Considering the fact that head coach JJ Redick sees Dončić as the focal point of the offense, he’ll have every opportunity to help the team maximize their potential for the rest of this season.

Often, the Luka trade is discussed as a move for the future, an appetizer to what Lakers fans will be feasting on in the post-LeBron James era. Yet, this team is hungry now.

If the season ended right now, they’d have home-court advantage in the first round and would end with a .610 winning percentage, their second-best mark over the past 13 years. The only better season was in 2019-20, when they won the title.

Suppose L.A. can continue winning at the rate that they are. In that case, they will inevitably climb up the standings and, regardless of your initial opinions on the trade and how much of it was for the future versus the present will be irrelevant. Simply put, the Lakers will be in the mix for an NBA title now.

This reality can happen so long as Luka does as LeBron James suggested during his first Lakers game and not fit out but fit in.

History indicates that won’t be a problem for Luka. He’s been a superstar everywhere he’s played and even under the spotlight in a city filled with stars, he has the ability and aura to shine brightest. He just needs the ring to put it all together.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.