Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic turned heads this offseason after appearing on the cover of “Men's Health Magazine” looking like he had lost a bunch of weight. With Doncic seemingly getting in better shape, former NBA player Kendrick Perkins predicts an MVP season from Doncic.

In the latest episode of the “Road Trippin' Podcast,” Perkins predicted that Luka Doncic will win the MVP Award next season. The popular ESPN analyst believes that the 26-year-old Slovenian star is setting himself up for a massive season.

“We ain't looking at the chubby, fat Luka… We looking at skinny Luka. I saw his jawline… He is my early pick for MVP… We are about to get the best version of Luka Doncic.”

Being out of shape was one of the reasons why the Dallas Mavericks felt the need to trade Luka Doncic to begin with. Doncic seemingly took that to heart and has undergone a body transformation to potentially elevate his game to another level. That's a scary thought considering he's one of the best players in the world right now.

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The five-time All-Star looked as good as ever playing alongside LeBron James in Los Angeles. Luka Doncic ended the 2024-25 campaign averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game. He also owned an impressive 45.0% field goal percentage while shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc.

If the weight loss improves his game, then we should expect a huge year from Luka Doncic. After the Lakers went out of their way to acquire Deandre Ayton, Los Angeles hopes to remain in contention moving forward. However, the franchise is seemingly focusing on the 2026 season and beyond to become truly competitive in the league. So, we'll see how the club fairs in the 2025-26 season.

Other notable acquisitions by the Lakers include Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia. Both players are subtle additions to potentially improve the depth of the roster.

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