The Los Angeles Lakers made the heist of the century when they acquired Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks. However, just because they got a 25-year-old superstar doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll stay long-term.
It would sound ridiculous to insinuate that Dončić would leave them for another NBA team. However, there isn’t a fear of Luka leaving the Lakers for another NBA team but leaving the NBA, period more specifically, that he might leave for a Saudi Arabian league.
Bill Simmons Explains Why Saudi Arabia Could Take Luka Dončić Away From Lakers
On the most recent episode of Bill Simmons’ podcast, he explained why Saudia Arabia could potentially be a rival international team to the NBA.
“They have got a s***load of money for this and a plan,” Simmons said. “And everything I’ve heard is that it’s kind of real. I don’t know if they have all the money yet, but they have enough that — could you form a six-team league and convince five, six, seven stars to basically jump when their contracts [are up]?”
For the record, this has been a concern before. Back in 2008, international leagues used to poach players from the NBA when some were still in their prime. The most well-known player that went overseas at the time was Josh Childress, but no international league ever became a threat.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be in due time. Simmons explained why specifically Dončić would be a candidate to leave.
“Could this be a LIV (a golf league backed by Saudi Arabia) situation?” Simmons asked. “What does he care? He doesn’t have any loyalty to the NBA. He just got traded. Could you build a league and have like six or seven Luka-type guys? ‘Hey Luka, here’s a hundred million dollars a year, you’re playing a 35-game season, and you’re gonna be the face or one of the faces of this league.’
“Like, I think it’s real. And I think the NBA owners are a little more worried about it than I think has been reported so far.”
Dončić’s contract extends to the 2026-27 season, though he has a player option for the last year on his deal. There’s no telling if what Simmons says becomes a reality, but it’s not something to brush aside.
Usually, when Simmons talks about basketball intel, it’s legitimate. It doesn’t mean this will be a problem for the NBA, but the notion that Saudia Arabia could be the NBA’s biggest threat and that Dončić could be a candidate to bolt for it could be brought up plenty from now until 2026.