After improving his conditioning ahead of his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers and beginning game action with his co-star LeBron James (sciatica) sidelined, many expect Luka Dončić to reach new heights in Year 8. That includes Dallas Mavericks icons Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, who each made bold predictions about the five-time All-Star.
Motivated by his stunning trade from Dallas to LA in early February, Dončić slimmed down over the summer via a strict diet and workout regimen. The 26-year-old’s illustrious résumé already features five All-NBA First Team selections, a league scoring title (2024), and an NBA Finals appearance (2024), prompting the question of just how much higher he can climb with the Purple and Gold.
What Do Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash Expect From Luka Dončić in the 2025-26 NBA Season?
On Tuesday, Nowitzki, Nash, and other members of Amazon’s new NBA on Prime studio crew shared their picks for the most likely first-time All-Star, 2026 MVP winner, and their most anticipated matchups for the 2025-26 campaign. Regarding the league’s premier regular-season award, Nowitzki and Nash, who boast a combined three MVPs, didn’t hesitate to select Dončić.
“Luka Dončić, MVP. Is that a hot take?” Nash quipped.
“I’m gonna go with Luka. I think he’s gonna put up some great numbers,” Nowitzki said.
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Nowitzki’s forecast of Dončić delivering eye-popping stats was swiftly validated during LA’s opening-night home matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The Slovenian standout tallied a game-high 43 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers, shooting an efficient 17-for-27 (63.0%).
Unfortunately for Dončić, it wasn’t enough, as the Lakers fell 119-109 behind a combined 54 points from the Warriors’ dynamic veteran duo of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III. Dončić and Co. trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter before coming up short in their fourth-quarter comeback bid, during which they cut their deficit to six points.
With James not expected to make his 2025-26 debut until around mid-November, Dončić should have a prime opportunity to continue stuffing the stat sheet over the next 10 to 15 games. Even when the 21-time All-Star returns, he could have his workload managed all season, likely boding well for Dončić’s MVP chances.
That said, LA may need to secure a top-three seed in the loaded Western Conference for Dončić to finally get over the hump and secure his first MVP trophy. His top finish in MVP voting (third) came in the 2023-24 season with the Mavericks when he averaged a career-high and league-leading 33.9 points per game.
The Lakers (0-1) will look to get back to .500 against the 2025 West finalist Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Friday.
