Luka Doncic has already been one of the best players in the NBA over the last few seasons. But now that he has transformed his physique and gotten into much better shape, he seems to be on the verge of playing at an even higher level.

Despite being fat, out of shape and a bit hobbled following a calf injury, he averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists a game during the regular season after being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in early February. During EuroBasket 2025 this summer, he put up 34.7 points a game and was moving around more freely than he was in the past.

Advertisement

As it stands, ESPN ranked Doncic No. 3 on its list of the best players in the NBA, falling one spot from a year ago.

“Doncic changed teams but barely budged from his position near the top of NBA Rank from last year, sliding from No. 2 to No. 3. The 26-year-old is coming off a successful summer during which he slimmed down, inked a three-year, $165 million contract extension with L.A. and led Slovenia all the way to the quarterfinals of EuroBasket while pouring in 34.7 points per game in the tournament. Last season was the first time since Doncic was a rookie that the 6-6 guard didn’t receive any votes for MVP, as a calf injury, plus the midseason trade, limited him to a career-low 50 games.

“NBA Rank voters are banking on Doncic to resume his Dallas trajectory now that he’s committed to the Lakers.”

It is scary for the rest of the league to think that perhaps no one has seen the 26-year-old’s best basketball yet. He played excellent defense during EuroBasket 2025, and while his offensive skills and production are phenomenal, he has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to his efficiency.

Doncic currently has career marks of 46.8% shooting from the field, 35% from 3-point range and 75.1% from the free throw line. His 3-point accuracy has improved over the last two seasons to 37.6%, and during EuroBasket 2025, he made 87.8% of his foul shots, albeit in a limited sample space of seven games.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Where ESPN ranked Luka Doncic on its list of best NBA players