Luka Doncic is currently under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the star is eligible to sign a lucrative extension beginning on August 2, 2025. The widespread expectation was that Doncic would sign a four-year, $223 million contract extension, solidifying the largest amount of guaranteed money possible.
Former NBA executive John Hollinger reported that Doncic is now expected to sign a shorter deal. Doncic’s situation is a bit complicated as the superstar is not eligible to sign a supermax extension after being traded by the Dallas Mavericks. Hollinger labeled Doncic decision as the “NBA’s most fraught contract-extension discussion.”
“Dončić is eligible to extend his deal on Aug. 2, and he can sign for up to four years and $223 million,” Hollinger wrote in a July 7, story for The Athletic titled, “Luka Dončić, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokić and more veteran-extension situations to watch.” “However, it seems vastly more likely he will take a shorter deal that would make him eligible for 35 percent of the cap once he achieves 10-year veteran status in the summer of 2028.
“Contractually, Dončić is a rarity: a superstar who was traded before his second contract ended. That makes him ineligible for the supermax deal that most players of his ilk can sign at the end of their second contract.”
The Lakers Face a Complicated Offseason With the Uncertain Futures of LeBron James & Luka Doncic
Lakers fans need not fret as Doncic is still on a five-year, $215 million contract that is slated to run through the 2026-27 season. There is a caveat as Doncic has a player option for the final season of his deal which would allow the star to become a free agent as soon as 2026.
Doncic signing a shorter deal combined with the uncertainty surrounding LeBron James’ future adds unexpected angst in Los Angeles, a city that has been buzzing since the shocking trade with the Mavericks back in February.
“Dončić could make the Lakers sweat out the season before extending his deal,” Hollinger added. “He could also opt out and try someplace else next summer on his two-year wait for 2028, and it will cost him mere pennies relative to the rest of his deal (only about $1.5 million, something he might easily make up in state taxes if he left California).
“So, yes, L.A. is probably the best situation for Dončić, but you can understand why the Lakers might be a little nervous until he puts pen to paper. And for Dončić, he needn’t be in a big hurry — he can extend any time between Aug. 2 and next June.”
The Lakers Appear To Be Prioritizing Building Around Luka Doncic Over LeBron James
Regardless of Doncic’s decision on the length of his next deal, there is a bit of a changing of the guard happening in Los Angeles. The Lakers are clearly prioritizing building around Doncic over James. One example of this is the addition of Deandre Ayton who shares the same agent as Doncic.
“Ayton ultimately decided the Lakers were the best basketball fit and allowed him the opportunity to join forces with Luka Doncic, who’s the same age and considered the best playmaker in the NBA in Ayton’s eyes,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote in a July 4, story titled, “NBA Intel: Jonas Valanciunas, Deandre Ayton, Free Agency.”
“Following success playing with guards such as Chris Paul and Ricky Rubio in Phoenix, Ayton hopes to recreate that playmaking chemistry with Doncic.”
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