Luka Doncic opted to sign a shorter deal, setting him up for a mega-contract extension in 2028.
On the very first day he’s eligible to sign an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic announced his much-anticipated decision to become the new face of the franchise.
“I just signed my extension with the Lakers. Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning. 💜💛 ,” Doncic wrote on X.
The deal is a three-year, $165 million maximum extension, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Doncic could have signed for a four-year, $229 million deal, but opted for the shorter contract with a player option in 2028.
Luka Eyes Monster Payday in 2028
ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks previously reported that a shorter extension will make Doncic eligible to sign a monster contract in the immediate future.
“And that third year, and why the short-term option is because that third year, that player option year would have him with 10 years of service in the summer of 2028,” Marks said on “NBA Today” on Aug. 1. “And get ready for this number. He would now be eligible for five years, potentially $417 million that summer. So all that money he lost in the supermax from Dallas, he could definitely recoup that and then some three years from now.
Doncic is betting big himself after the Dallas Mavericks lost their faith in him when they traded him and stripped him of the chance to sign what would have been a historic five-year, $345 million max extension deal this summer.
The Slovenian star slimmed down this offseason, taking a month off from basketball and focusing on his body and conditioning after missing 32 games — the longest in his basketball career — due to calf strain.
Luka’s New Diet
Getty Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic looks on before game four of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Doncic revealed to Men’s Health magazine that he’s doing 16 hours of intermittent fasting six days a week.
“This offseason, every day but Sunday, Doncic fasts from 8:30 PM to 12 noon the following day. That’s 16 hours with nary a calorie, with the first workout of each day performed at the end of the fasting window.”
As part of his new diet, Doncic consumes only a gluten-free, low-sugar diet, including “at least 250 grams of protein and one almond milk–fueled shake a day.”
He also incorporated plant-based foods into his new diet.
Doncic said he will continue doing his new regimen into the season as he hopes to lead the Lakers to a championship in his first full season with the team.
Win-Now Mindset
Doncic’s extension comes with a fair warning to the Lakers.
“This isn’t signing away to the Lakers and saying, ‘OK, you have my commitment and I’ll have some patience here,’” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said on “NBA Today” on July 29. “It’s ‘I want to win this year, I want to win the subsequent year. So long as my name is signed to a piece of paper saying I am a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, I expect to be in a position to raise banners at the Crypto.com Arena.’”
It was the same ultimatum that LeBron James tried to send to the Lakers when he picked up his $52.6 million player option.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN’s Shams Charania in June. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
Since then, the Lakers have added former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia without surrendering their lone first-round pick draft capital and their expiring salaries.
Doncic recruited both Ayton and Doncic, while Austin Reaves shares the same agent as LaRavia.
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