Mar 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) rises for a shot over New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images
Luka Doncic has already built a résumé that few players could match at the age of 26. Five All-Star selections, five All-NBA First Team honors, and the 2019 Rookie of the Year trophy headline a career that is still just getting started. Yet according to ESPN’s Zach Kram, the Los Angeles Lakers star is not quite a lock for the Hall of Fame at this stage of his journey.
Doncic’s move to Los Angeles last summer stunned the basketball world. It instantly placed the Lakers back in the championship conversation and shifted the balance of power in the Western Conference. Still, as Kram explained, there are key boxes left unchecked before Doncic can be considered an all-time certainty.
“Still in their mid-20s, Doncic and Tatum might already be locks,” Kram wrote. “The former has five first team All-NBA selections, while the latter has four, plus a third team nod. Yet for now, they’re arguably just short of, say, Gilgeous-Alexander because of one hiccup apiece. For Doncic, it’s the lack of a title; for Tatum, it’s the uncertainty around his right Achilles injury and whether he’ll return at an All-NBA level.”
Kram pointed to Basketball-Reference’s Hall of Fame probability tracker, which gives Doncic a 45 percent chance of enshrinement if his career ended today, while Tatum sits at 59 percent. Both numbers are expected to climb as their careers progress, but the analyst insists that for now neither can be considered automatic.
For Doncic, the missing piece is clear: a championship ring. The upcoming 2025-26 campaign may offer his best shot to date. The Lakers retooled their roster in the offseason, focusing on shoring up depth at the forward positions and securing a legitimate starting center.
In 28 appearances with the Lakers during the 2024-25 season, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, complementing LeBron James and energizing an already potent offense. Los Angeles finished with the third seed in the West, only to fall to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a stunning first-round exit.
With a full season alongside James and a roster designed to fit around his skill set, Doncic enters the new year with a real opportunity to change the narrative. A deep playoff run, and perhaps a title, could elevate his Hall of Fame case from promising to undeniable.
