Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is having a busy week, with a possibly lucrative conclusion. He is in the midst of a promotional tour for Jordan Brand, but on Saturday, he becomes eligible to sign a contract extension worth up to four years and $223 million with the Lakers.
While it’s not for sure until pen hits the paper, all indications and rumors have pointed towards Doncic signing some form of extension with L.A., potentially even before returning to the Slovenian National Team for EuroBasket at the start of next week.
But Luka is being smart and not talking about the extension just yet. As part of his promotional tour, he appeared on the Today Show on Wednesday morning, and when he was given the opportunity to talk about whether or not he’d extend in L.A., he took the safe approach:
Luka was not trying to get fined by talking about his upcoming contract extension. 🤣
(via @TODAYshow) pic.twitter.com/KF1FJdYE1Z
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) July 30, 2025
Doncic was able to turn the possible fine by answering the question into a very comedic moment. Given that his extension date is only three days away, there is no reason to risk a possible fine by talking about the deal now. The Lakers are already mostly done making moves this offseason and there is no pressure that Luka needs to put on L.A. with public comments.
But his willingness to joke about it could show that he knows what’s coming and that an extension is likely to be signed this weekend. Generally, if players are unsure about a decision, they will either state that openly or say something to the effect that there have been no conversations about it in any regard.
But Doncic chose to make a joke about it, perhaps knowing that when Saturday comes, he’ll be tied to the Lakers for the foreseeable future.
Luka Doncic still emphasizing winning now
The Lakers have built their entire offseason plan around patience and the idea that by maintaining future flexibility, they can build a true contender in the next year or two. However, that clearly didn’t stop Luka Doncic from trying to make things happen.
He reportedly recruited Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton into the mix, giving the Lakers an arguably improved team from the one that finished with the No. 3 seed in the West last year. But it remains to be seen if the Lakers are genuine contenders.
Regardless, even if Doncic signs that extension the first minute he can, the Lakers are still on the clock to make something happen.
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