Luka Doncic's Lakers extension dubbed ‘genius'; All-Star could make $500 million eventually
While the Lakers and Doncic announced the extension on social media, they did not get into details.
'Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud,' Doncic wrote X, platform formerly known as Twitter. 'Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates, and all the fans who've shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning.'
Read More: Could LeBron James pair up with Stephen Curry for the Warriors? NBA insider says…
Doncic, who joined the Lakers last February from the Dallas Mavericks, averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game last season. He and LeBron James teamed up for 50 wins and the No 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Lakers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka celebrated the Doncic deal.
"Luka Doncic's future is with the Los Angeles Lakers," Pelinka said in a statement. "Luka is one of the game's most transcendent players, and his on-court dominance and passion is without compare."
Read More: Luka Doncic threat to LeBron James? 'Don't count him out', says NBA insider
Luka Doncic has a shot at $500 million
The extension deal includes a player option for the 2028-29 season. Doncic will be eligible for a max deal worth over $400 million when his player option arrives. The Lakers could also offer him a bonus, taking the amount to close to $500 million.
However, the five-time All-NBA star is not keeping all the cash for himself. He made a pledge on Saturday.
'Today I'm also committing $5 million to help 77 young athletes around the world chase their dreams, just like I did. Basketball gave me everything, and I'm lucky to be able to give back and help the next generation,' he tweeted.
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