Lakers, Luka Doncic agree to $165 million contract extension
The Los Angeles Lakers and superstar guard Luka Doncic are in agreement on a three-year, $165 million max contract extension, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints on Saturday.
By agreeing to this max extension, Doncic has proven that he is committed to being the face of the Lakers for the foreseeable future. He is now under contract in Los Angeles through the 2028-29 NBA season. He will be eligible for a five-year contract that will exceed $400 million in 2028 should he utilize his player option.
It was expected that the two sides would agree to a new contract extension with Doncic finishing his Jordan Brand tour in Los Angeles before returning to Europe for the EuroBasket 2025 tournament with Slovenia.
After being traded to the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in one of the most shocking and historic trades made in NBA history before the trade deadline, Doncic instantly paved a path for this organization to regain its footing in the Western Conference championship equation.
Many had questioned what this franchise would do once LeBron James retires, given their lack of a young core, and Doncic's arrival made the answer clear. James opted into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season and will once again be next to Luka on the Lakers' roster for what many have speculated to be his final season in Los Angeles.
Whether LeBron ultimately retires after the upcoming year or continues his career elsewhere is the question at large.
Nonetheless, the Lakers have made it clear that they are committed to building their team around Doncic, and that is apparent with this new $165 million extension. ESPN was first to report Doncic's agreement with Los Angeles on Saturday.
The Lakers' young star has the full support of new ownership led by majority owner Mark Walter, who is also in charge of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the MLB, and this organization will continue to build a contending roster around him.
This offseason, Luka was a leading voice in the Lakers' ability to land both Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart after they were bought out by the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards, respectively. It is expected that the Slovenian star will continue to work closely with executive Rob Pelinka and the Lakers' front office when it comes to key roster decisions year after year.
Doncic, 26, has cemented himself as one of the best basketball players in the world through his first seven NBA seasons.
Aside from being named an All-Star and to the All-NBA list five different times, Doncic has also finished inside the top five of the MVP voting three different times. He won the league's scoring title with the Mavs during the 2023-24 season after averaging 33.9 points per game, the highest single-season scoring average since James Harden averaged 34.3 points per game with the Houston Rockets during the 2019-20 season.
Last season, Luka was severely limited due to a left calf strain, and he played in a career-low 50 games. Even so, he still averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game between Dallas and Los Angeles, proving that he is one of the league's best all-around offensive weapons when healthy.
This offseason, Doncic has devoted time to taking care of his body and using the trade as extra motivation to remain at his best conditioning level.
'Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,' Doncic told Men's Health in an offseason exclusive detailing his body transformation. 'If I stop now, it was all for nothing.'
All that matters to Doncic is performing at the highest level possible to contend for a championship. That is why he has been so devoted to getting in shape this summer, and that is why he will look to reach new heights during the 2025-26 season in Los Angeles.
Only Doncic and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo have averaged at least 28 points per game in each of the last four seasons. He is also one of two players in the league to average at least 25 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists every year since the 2021-22 season, joining three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
Doncic is now the only player on the Lakers' payroll past the 2027-28 season.
The Lakers can be aggressive in their hunt for more star-level talent around Doncic over the next several seasons, as Los Angeles can open up over $100 million in cap space in 2026, which could then carry over to 2027 when All-Stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyler Herro, and Trae Young potentially hit the open market.
With James' future past this season clouded, the Lakers have gone all-in on building a championship-caliber core with and around Doncic moving forward.
Related: Lakers' Luka Doncic nails insane trick shot after contract extension
Related: Lakers' Luka Dončić's thankful message to LA after landing new contract
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