NBA legend Dwyane Wade makes his feelings clear about Luka Doncic's "billion dollar" business fit with LA Lakers

Luka Doncic and the LA Lakers stumbled in their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing in five games and ending their promising season early. It was the first taste of playoff basketball for Doncic in a Lakers uniform, following the blockbuster trade that brought him to LA from the Dallas Mavericks.

However, according to Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade, the Lakers won't be too concerned as they still have the 26-year-old Doncic as their face for the foreseeable future.

In his eponymous podcast, Timeout with Dwyane Wade, he expressed how big a deal Doncic will be for the Lakers going forward.

"At the end of the day, it's a bottom line to this. This is a business. What did I say? I said billionaire business," Wade said.

"We're talking about the Lakers, and so we sit here at the end of the season, we look at it and say, 'Well, No. 1 in jersey sales, who is it?' Luka Dončić. 'Team, No. 1 in jersey sales, who is it?' Los Angeles Lakers," he added.

Doncic is the top-selling jersey this season, while his Lakers teammate LeBron James holds the third spot.

"When we talk about even building a face, everyone's talking about, 'Who's the face? Who's the face?' Well, I know who the international face is. His name is Luka Dončić. And it's not that he wasn't (the face) when he was in Dallas, but it really is because he's in the Lakers uniform," Wade said.

Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game this season, helping the Lakers reach the third seed only to lose to the sixth-seeded Timberwolves in the first round.

The Lakers gave up Anthony Davis, among other players, in the deal to bring Doncic to LA. Davis was instrumental in bringing the Lakers an NBA title in 2020.

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LeBron James hopes for Luka Doncic to stay with the LA Lakers long term

LA Lakers star LeBron James wants Luka Doncic to continue being the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future.

“I hope, obviously, (he stays long term). Laker fans f---ing love him here. L.A. has accepted him,” James said.

James, who is the oldest active player this season, has only one remaining year on his contract as he enters his 40s.