Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka believes Luka Doncic cemented himself among the "best players on the planet" with his impressive EuroBasket performances.

Slovenia were beaten in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Germany, with Doncic putting in a standout performance despite their defeat.

He scored 39 points, a game high, with 22 of those coming in the first half. It was his fifth game at the tournament that saw him surpass 30 points.

Overall, he averaged 34.7 points per game, more than any other player, while averaging 8.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists (third-best).

Doncic was traded to the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in February, though Los Angeles were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

LUKA DONČIĆ: EuroBasket 2025 All-Star Five pic.twitter.com/zH1oHPYVJ3

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 14, 2025

Now, Pelinka says the Lakers need to build their aspirations around Doncic in order to elevate the team.

"Luka's play in EuroBasket made it clear to the entire basketball world that he's on that incredibly short list of 'best player on the planet' candidates, if not at the top," he said.

"If there are smart ways to pour into our championship aspirations for next year, we will execute on those."

The Lakers' first preseason game sees them face the Phoenix Suns on October 3, while they begin the regular season at home to the Golden State Warriors on October 22.