Luka Doncic sent a fair warning to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the biggest decision of his NBA career.
Doncic is eligible to sign a lucrative extension with the Lakers beginning on Aug. 2.
“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.”
Win Now or Prepare for Post-LeBron?
Paul added they “understand” the challenge the Lakers are facing between winning now and preparing for the future.
“We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career,” Paul continued. “He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
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.
According to The Athletic, James is expected to be with the Lakers for the training camp.
Doncic slimmed down this offseason after his conditioning woes factored into the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade him to the Lakers.
James has also returned to the gym since undergoing knee surgery following their first-round exit.
Luka Predicted to Sign Shorter Extension
Doncic, the new face of the franchise, is eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million max extension. It’s much lower than what he was eligible to receive — a five-year, $345 million deal — from the Mavericks if they did not trade him.
“I cannot overstate how much of a disadvantage it was for the Lakers to lose the ability to give Luka the supermax,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “NBA Today” on July 22. “He is completely disincentivized to extend his contract this year.”
ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks predicts Doncic 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 Doncic to re-enter 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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