New era! How do the Lakers return to the ranks of championships?

According to reports, Doncic signed a three-year, 165 million maximum salary renewal contract with the Lakers to ensure that he will play until at least 2028. In the last year, he also has the option of breaking out of the contract, and then he will have the opportunity to reconsider a larger super maximum salary contract.

For this contract renewal, it not only locks in the Lakers' presence in the next three years, but also wins a critical window for reconstruction and strengthening for the team. How to build a championship team around Doncic that can meet both offense and defense is about to become the most important goal of the Lakers' management. Before the discussion, let's take a look at the value of this three-year contract:

Doncic chose to sign a three-year contract with the Lakers, with the 2028-29 season player option; this is quite different from the four-year long contract that the outside world generally predicted at the time, and behind this choice, it seems to have other meanings.

First of all, Doncic is confident enough about his future strength and market value. This short contract directly allows him to accumulate ten years of qualifications in 2028, which directly meets the limited conditions for the NBA's super top salary. By then, he has the opportunity to sign a larger 5-year super contract with an annual salary of more than 80 million yuan.

Secondly, this three-year short contract retains the opportunity to put pressure on the team. Compared to directly signing a long contract, the short contract can at least allow Doncic to gain a certain dominance during the contract period, forcing the Lakers to build a new lineup with stable competitiveness around him; and once the team fails to meet the expectations of championship competition, Doncic retains the possibility of jumping out of the contract at any time.

In short, this three-year contract is not only a commitment to the Lakers, but also a kind of supervision of the team. It not only declares Doncic's willingness to take over the position of the young master of Zijin, but also is willing to give the Lakers time, but the premise is that the team must do its best to build a championship lineup with sufficient combat power for him in two years.

With the signing of this contract, compared with James' recent rumors, Doncic's short contract actually provides James with a more decent and meaningful retirement opportunity. Judging from the contract situation, the biggest advantage is that it does not force the Lakers to bear the heavy pressure of competing for the championship every year, but instead locks its real championship goal in 2027 and 2028. During this period, the Lakers were able to complete the alternation of the new and old eras with a more stable rhythm.

In the next two years, the Lakers will face the golden handover stage of the dual-core cooperation between James and Doncic. James can still stand up at critical moments, but his role will gradually turn to assist, relying on his more than 20 years of leadership experience to help Doncic establish a new system.

In this process, how to learn to withstand media pressure and how to show personal abilities when the team needs it are all things Doncic needs to learn from James.

For James, these two years are also his last chance to define his career. He no longer has to accumulate data to define greatness, but instead focuses on helping the Lakers complete blood exchange. His ball quotations, game readings, etc. will be the most valuable part of Doncic's growth.

From the best expectations, the Lakers have the opportunity to help James win another championship in the last moment; and if everything goes well, by the end of the 2027 season, James can successfully complete the handover, and Doncic will officially stand on his peak stage in 2028.

The Lakers have now clarified Doncic's absolute core, and the future team building blueprint will be completely around him. Establishing a team's footprint is only the first step. Compared with the recent restrictions on salary pressure and not many bargaining chips, although the Lakers have made some reinforcements, it is obviously not enough to make the Lakers reach the championship level.

To maximize Doncic's value, the Lakers must build a new lineup with balanced offense and defense, and even want to truly return to the ranks of the championship in two years. The Lakers may need to complete a complete lineup change in 2027.

Judging from previous resumes, Doncic has always been regarded as one of the most difficult young stars to build a team. His offensive talent is undoubtedly one of the few super cores with his own system in service. Not only can he dominate the game with singles pick-and-roll and outside shooting, but he can also rely on passing and connect to drive his teammates. He is the most offensive threat organization point in the league.

But at the same time, Doncic's weaknesses are also obvious. In the Mavericks' days, his defense was often targeted, and his poor physical condition also led to him being unable to do so at critical moments. After coming to the Lakers, these problems still cannot be completely solved. Although I recently said that I am actively training and shaping my body, defensive awareness and physical fitness management ultimately need support and assistance from the teammates and system.

In view of this, for the Lakers' reconstruction career, they must solve two problems at the same time:

First, how to cover up Doncic's defensive weaknesses; second, how to further amplify his offensive dominance.

In terms of offense, compared with the three current Lakers' ball-holding cores, Doncic's offensive talent basically does not require another deputy ball-holder to share the task. What he needs is a system that can completely obey command and create the largest space for him. This also means that the Lakers must be equipped with at least two high-shot shooting scorers around him, and it is best to participate in off-ball running to open the field and take his pick-and-roll breakthrough threat to the extreme.

At the same time, a big man who can partner with Doncic is also an essential part of the inside ending point. He is good at pick-and-roll and can finish the efficient ending. He is also an important part of Doncic's offensive system..

As for the defensive end, the Lakers must find teammates who can make up for Doncic's defensive shortcomings. The Lakers need a 3D forward who can lock the opponent's outside ace, and also a center with strong frame protection capabilities to provide the last inside barrier. With such a defensive structure, Doncic does not have to be forced to spend too much energy on rotation defense, and can focus more on offensive organization while maintaining efficiency throughout the season.

Simply put, in the most optimistic fantasy layout, the Lakers should all need to configure top 3D wings such as Anunobi and Bridges in the second, third and fourth positions, and finally match a center with a frame protection and cake-eating ability, such as Jarrett Allen. Such a lineup combination may fully liberate Doncic's offensive value.

Referring to the current team's salary situation, with the expiration of James' future contract and the release of salary space, the Lakers will be able to have enough flexible operation space in at least 2027. If the Lakers can catch some big fish in the free market at that time, they will have a chance to form a top offense and defense champion team.

Back to the beginning, Doncic's arrival gave the Lakers a new appearance. The 26-year-old superstar not only shoulders the responsibility of leading the team back to glory, but also shoulders the mission of inheriting the Lakers. Whether the Lakers can build a perfect lineup around him in the next few years will directly determine the final success or failure of this new era.

But at the same time, Doncic's era also has certain risks, the most obvious thing is the hidden worries of injuries.

For many years, Doncic has been known for his high ball-holding and high confrontational style. Even though he has gradually improved his physical fitness in recent years, long-term high load may still lead to the accumulation of injuries. Especially as the core representative of the Slovenian men's basketball team, he plays games for the national team almost every year. Under a special identity like

, it is difficult not to remind people of Yao Ming's fall; and once Doncic's injury risks increase, any intensified injury may cause a fatal blow to the team's future plans.

And another potential challenge comes from the media. The Lakers have always been the focus of the media, and Doncic's personality will also be amplified. Every loss, every sluggish performance, or even a small friction between teammates may be over-interpreted by the media and amplified into internal conflicts within the team.

Looking back, many Lakers stars have fallen into a storm under the pressure of the media, and whether Doncic can withstand such a high-pressure environment will be an important test for his leadership. If the Lakers management cannot maintain the stability of the locker room, the hype of media and public opinion is likely to put the Lakers in challenges.

Of course, even if there are hidden dangers, judging from the current signs, the Lakers are at least on the right path. The management has begun to strengthen the frame protection power in the offseason, increase defense and shooter resources, and try to establish a reasonable tactical division of labor in the new era of the Lakers.

Even if these changes will not be transformed into championship strength immediately for the time being, it will at least reduce Doncic's load, reduce future injury risks, and lay the foundation for stabilizing the team in advance.

If these puzzles are required to be completed smoothly in the next one or two seasons, the Lakers will have more than just a star in the face, but a powerful team that can truly win the championship. At that time, Doncic will have the opportunity to start his own legendary story for this giant team.