Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has been among the best players in the NBA throughout the 2020s, but the MVP award has continued to elude him. Doncic finished fourth in MVP voting last season despite winning the scoring title, but ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes he could finally win in 2027.
MacMahon shared the pathway for Doncic to take home the Michael Jordan Trophy on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast.
“I think it’s pretty well set up for Luka to potentially win his first,” MacMahon said.
Co-host Brian Windhorst pointed out it helps to have a narrative, and Doncic has one. Just like how Kevin Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder helped Russell Westbrook’s case in 2017, LeBron James departing for the Philadelphia 76ers this summer helps his.
“And a narrative where the expectations for the Lakers are as low as they’ve been since LeBron arrived,” MacMahon added.
The Lakers topped ESPN’s list of the most disappointing teams next season. They also projected that the team barely avoids the play-in tournament. The Lakers have overhauled their roster, and while the front office and fanbase like what has been put together, ESPN’s insiders do not.
“If they win 53 games, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility if Luka stays healthy,” MacMahon said. “… You don’t wonder if he’s going to have numbers. If the guy plays, he’ll put up MVP numbers. If they win 53 games and he’s putting up those kind of numbers, I think he’s going to have a hell of a case.
“And by the way, dude, Luka’s as lean as he’s been since his rookie year,” MacMahon continued. “If you look at some of the footage that came out of the Slovenia trip that he organized and funded for that whole team. Dude, he looks like he is in great shape.”
Doncic did indeed look in incredible shape at the Lakers minicamp he hosted in Slovenia. Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas believes the rest of the NBA is in trouble now and added that the 27-year-old will win the scoring title for the second year in a row.
Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2025-26 and led the Lakers to a 53-29 record. They were the fourth seed in the Western Conference, but the six-time All-Star still got zero first-place MVP votes.
Despite operating at an extremely high level all these years, Doncic has only ever finished in the top three in MVP voting once. He was third in 2023 with just four first-place votes.
Will 2027 be the year that Doncic finally gets some love from the voters? We’ll just have to wait and watch.
Victor Wembanyama Is The Clear Favorite For MVP
Now, while MacMahon thinks Doncic could win MVP, he is not his pick for the award at the moment. He is backing San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, as do most at ESPN. Wembanyama was the runaway winner in their MVP predictions.
1. Victor Wembanyama: 102 points
2. Nikola Jokic: 31 points
3. Luka Doncic: 28 points
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 26 points
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 8 points
Wembanyama, the best defender in the NBA by a country mile, finished third in voting last season after averaging 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game. The Frenchman led the Spurs to a 62-20 record, and you’d expect them to hit that 60-win mark again. If they do and Wembanyama improves on those numbers, he is taking home the award.
Leave a Comment