Parsons thinks Doncic is going to finish his career with the Lakers.

This is where the main frustration stems from" - Chandler Parsons says Luka  Doncic's reaction to getting traded confirms he's staying in L.A. long-term

Former Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons agrees with ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania that Luka Doncic will finish his career in Los Angeles because, like many foreign-born players, he envisioned himself starting and ending his career with only one team.

Parsons said that Luka’s emotional reaction to the Mavs trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers showed that he never wanted to leave Dallas. He seconded Shams’ belief that this feeling would carry over to his new team, the Lakers.

“I think this is where the main frustration stems from,” said Parsons. “He was extremely caught off guard; he did not see this coming. Dallas was his home. He thought that he was going to be there for a long time. He fully intended on signing that full max extension. He just bought a house in Dallas, so yeah, I think Dallas was his one-stop shop, and obviously, things change”.

Parsons thinks the Lakers are keeping “Luka Magic”

Doncic was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA Draft but was traded to the Mavericks on draft night. Slovenian played his first seven seasons in Dallas, leading the team to the postseason four times, including last year when they made it to the 2024 NBA Finals.

In a surprise move, the Mavs moved him to the Lakers last month. With “Luka Magic” eligible for a four-year $229 million deal on August 2nd, Rob Pelinka must use his negotiation skills to bag Doncic. While most believe he will stay, nothing is assured.

“You see a lot of these greats switching teams towards the end of their career, but I can see the Lakers keeping him for a long time,” added Chandler. “They should extend him; he should be a Laker for a long time. And I love to see him do that. I love to see him succeed. I’d love to see him win multiple championships here and prove to everyone in that Dallas Mavericks organization that they couldn’t have been more wrong.”

Shams said Doncic is already starting to love L.A.

Charania started the conversation by saying that the 6’6″ guard was set on spending his entire NBA career in Dallas as his mentor Dirk Nowitzki did. However, the Mavs had concerns about his conditioning and work habits, or so they said. Despite Dallas giving up on him, Shams said Luka still has that ‘one team, one city, forever’ mentality, and that will make him stay in Los Angeles for good.

“He had no intention of leaving Dallas. He had just bought a new home for a lofty price, and he did not want to go anywhere,” Charania said. “You think of a player coming from abroad; they’re very committed, very loyal, and that’s how he viewed himself with the Mavericks – one team, one city, forever. That’s gonna carry over to the Lakers.”

Hopefully, Shams and Chandler are correct. The Lakers have been rolling since “The Don” arrived in town. And Doncic has said that he loves everything in L.A. but the traffic. It’s still crazy to think that Slovenian is now a Laker. It will even be crazier if, as Parsons said, he’s going to win a championship with the Purple and Gold.