The Los Angeles Lakers have been prioritizing cap flexibility to pair Luka Dončić with one of the two former multiple MVPs in the NBA down the road.
According to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints, the Lakers have their eyes on three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo once LeBron James is off their books. That is why a James trade is unlikely to happen unless the return is either of the two aforementioned former league MVPs.
“The whole thing has become pretty awkward, and yet the reality is they’re both better off with each other. There is no trade the Lakers would make that would give James a better chance at a title than he has playing with Dončić.
“There’s also no trade James would accept that would benefit the Lakers and fit their parameters as they look to pair Luka Dončić with either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic,” Irwin wrote on July 16.
GettyThe Lakers’ grand plan is to pair Nikola Jokic with Luka Doncic.
That is why the Lakers refused to go beyond their two-year offer to Dorian Finney-Smith, who bolted for the Houston Rockets for a four-year, $53 million deal. It’s the same reason why the Lakers only gave two-year deals to both Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton.
The Lakers’ grand plan of forming another dynamic superstar duo, however, hinges on several future events that they hope will happen.
Both Antetokounmpo and Jokic can become free agents in the summer of 2027 if they do not extend with their current teams or with their new teams if they are traded and do not pick up their player option for the 2027-28 season. Antetokounmpo will be 33 by then, while Jokic will be 32. Dončić will just be 28 by then, still in the middle of his prime.
Lakers ‘a Little Bit Stressed Out’ on Luka’s Extension
But first, the Lakers must get Doncic’s long-term commitment beginning on Aug. 2, when he would be eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million max extension.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Lakers are “a little bit stressed out” about it as August 2 gets closer. Beginning on that day, Dončić would be eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million max extension that the Lakers would certainly offer.
“This happens when it’s a player’s second max contract,” Windhorst said on “NBA Today” on July 15. “This is when players sometimes leave or are not really worth it. This is a stress max right now for Luka. The Lakers are a little bit stressed out about it… If he signs it, relief for the Lakers… If he does not sign it, he can be a free agent next summer when there are going to be 10-plus teams with cap space. You will see teams begin to open up maneuvers to try to chase Luka.”
Luka Predicted to Sign Shorter Extension
It behooves Dončić not to sign the four-year max deal the Lakers would offer, according to Windhorst, as he could earn more down the road with a shorter deal.
In this case, Dončić will be able to recoup most of the money he lost when the Dallas Mavericks traded him. The Slovenian star was in line to receive a five-year, $345 million contract from the Mavericks. But since they traded him, he is no longer eligible for that.
ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks predicts Dončić will sign a shorter deal.
“More likely: a three-year, $165 million extension that includes a player option in the third year. The short-term extension allows Dončić to reenter free agency sooner and potentially recoup the $345 million he lost when he was traded from the Mavericks,” Marks wrote in his offseason guide for the Lakers.
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