The Los Angeles Lakers announced that they have signed superstar Luka Doncic to a long-term contract extension. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is reportedly to be a three-year max deal with a player option in the final year.
“Today is a monumental moment for our franchise. Luka Dončić’s future is with the Los Angeles Lakers,” said Lakers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka. “Luka is one of the game’s most transcendent players, and his on-court dominance and passion is without compare. From the moment Luka became a Laker, there was an immediate connection and admiration between Luka and our fanbase. You can feel it in your spirit when you attend a Lakers game. Luka is an absolute killer on the court, and blends that with a unique generosity and care for the community. Above all else, Luka will lead our franchise to pursue future championships, a goal that will forever define the Lakers.”
After acquiring Doncic in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks last February, the Lakers pegged the Slovenian star as the player they want to build around for years to come. Now that he has put pen to paper on the extension, they can breathe a sigh of relief knowing he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
This is a well-deserved extension for Doncic, who lost out on a supermax extension when he was traded. Now, he will recoup a lot of that money with a chance to hit the open market once he reaches 10 years in the NBA, which will allow him to earn an even bigger deal.
In his first seven seasons, Doncic has put together a resume that matches up with an all-time great in the NBA. He has been named an All-Star five times while making five First Team All-NBA squads. He is also a former Rookie of the Year, Western Conference Finals MVP and 2023-24 scoring champion.
In 450 career regular season games between the Lakers and Mavericks, Doncic has averaged 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field.
At this point, Doncic is focused on winning championships with the purple and gold, which is exactly what the franchise envisioned when they made the trade. It remains to be seen how quickly they will be able to do that, but with Doncic leading the way they should be in the mix every year.
Luka Doncic was motivated by Lakers’ playoff loss
The Lakers have to feel good about giving Luka Doncic this extension considering he completely transformed his body this offseason and is in the best shape of his life. He started training right after the Lakers’ season came to an end, taking motivation from the unfortunate first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“So every summer I try my best to work on different things,” he says. “Obviously, I’m very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.”
With a motivated Doncic and improved roster, the Lakers are looking to do some damage this upcoming season in what will be a loaded Western Conference.
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