LA Lakers' Luka Dončić seals contract extension: Reportedly commits to a three-year, $165 million deal.
Los Angeles Lakers Secure Luka Doncic on Three-Year Contract Extension
The Los Angeles Lakers have secured the services of Luka Doncic for the next three seasons, following the signing of a three-year, $165 million maximum deal with a player option in 2028. This contract comes six months after the Lakers acquired Doncic in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
The deal, announced by the team on Saturday, represents a strategic move for both parties. While Doncic was eligible for a supermax contract extension with the Mavericks, which could have paid him approximately $335.9 million over five seasons, he has opted for a shorter and less lucrative contract now with the Lakers.
The key difference lies in the length, total value, and eligibility criteria tied to the team that drafted or initially signed Doncic. The Lakers extension is 3 years for $165 million, while the supermax with Dallas could have been 5 years and around $315 million or even $345 million, according to different sources.
Doncic lost supermax eligibility when traded from Dallas because the Lakers did not draft him nor acquire him within his first four NBA seasons. This means that the new contract is limited to a max of 30% of the salary cap instead of 35% available in Dallas.
However, Doncic’s Lakers deal includes a 2028 player option that allows him to become an unrestricted free agent and potentially sign a massive new contract worth over $400 million for five years. This next deal could also include a no-trade clause, which is rare and valuable.
The shorter term deal with the Lakers seems purposeful to allow Doncic to re-enter free agency with a better deal later, rather than committing immediately to a longer supermax contract with less favorable terms post-trade.
The Lakers are currently positioned to generate significant cap space in the summer of 2026, which could potentially enable them to offer Doncic a more lucrative contract then. In the meantime, the team has made other moves to strengthen their roster, such as the under-the-radar addition of Jake LaRavia and the signing of Deandre Ayton to fill the gaping hole at center.
As Doncic joined the Lakers in the middle of his seventh NBA season, he was bound by standard veteran extension guidelines. Despite this, he is currently in the best shape of his career and is committed to making the partnership with the Lakers work.
Doncic wrote on social media that he is excited to keep working to bring championships to L.A., a sentiment echoed by the Lakers who hope Doncic will never wear another uniform. The Lakers' roster, with Doncic at its core, should be competitive in the Western Conference.
[1] Bleacher Report [2] ESPN [3] Forbes [4] Sports Illustrated
[1] Basketball fans are eagerly following the news of Luka Doncic's three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers worth $165 million, a strategic move that sees Doncic forgoing a potential supermax contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
[2] With this deal, Doncic is poised to re-enter free agency in 2028, potentially signing a massive contract worth over $400 million, a move that could include a no-trade clause.
[3] While the Lakers' roster has strengthened with the addition of Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton, the team's focus will be on generating significant cap space in 2026 to offer Doncic a more lucrative contract.
[4] The sports world has been buzzing with discussions on Doncic's decision to join the Lakers mid-season, with many basketball pundits analyzing its impact on the Lakers' chances in the competitive Western Conference.
[5] As the 2022-2023 NBA season unfolds, the highly anticipated Doncic-led Lakers will battle it out in sports arenas, with their fans placing bets on their potential wins.
