After finalizing one of the most shocking trades in NBA history to acquire Luka Doncic, the next step for the Los Angeles Lakers will be signing the five-time All-Star to a contract extension this summer.
Lakers’ Luka Doncic Will Most Likely Sign A Two-Year Extension With A Player Option For A Third Season
On Tuesday’s episode of Get Up, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that it’s “not a guarantee” that Doncic will sign for the max he’s eligible for with the Lakers in the offseason.
Doncic would have been eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million supermax with the Dallas Mavericks, but that’s no longer on the table after a midseason trade.
What happens if Luka Doncic doesn’t sign an extension this summer with the Lakers?
“We have to just watch and see how it all plays out.” —@WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/e7rwR9l0ff
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 4, 2025
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (starts at the 56:05 mark in the YouTube video above), Doncic will most likely sign a two-year extension with a player option for a third season that would give him the ability to get a full supermax deal.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks said Doncic could ink a three-year extension this summer with a player option in 2028-29. That would allow him to reach 10 years of service and recoup most if not all from the missed opportunity to sign the supermax this offseason.
Doncic Could Sign A Four-Year, $229 Million Contract
His starting salary in 2028-29 would potentially be $72 million. The most Doncic could sign for this summer with the Lakers is a four-year, $229 million contract. However, because of the CBA rules, it would be more financially beneficial if he accepted a shorter deal.
According to Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, another option for Doncic would be for him to opt out of his next three-year deal after the second season, making him a free agent after his 10th season.
Doncic would then re-sign on a five-year deal starting at 35% of the cap. Quinn’s estimates are assuming that there is a continued 10% annual growth in the cap. This means a projected 2028-29 cap of $205.8 million.
Under Quinn’s plan, Doncic would make more than $1 million per game during the 2031-32 season, and he would make more than $400 million in total. He’d earn $83.56 million in 2031-32 and as much as $95.09 million in 2033-34.
Either way, Doncic is now the Lakers’ future. He will turn 26 on Feb. 28 and already has five All-NBA first-team selections. The seven-year veteran averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game in 22 starts for the Mavericks this season prior to the trade.
Per Spotrac, Doncic has one more guaranteed year, in addition to a $48.97 million player option for 2026-27 on his current five-year, $215.16 million rookie-scale contract.
Andscape’s Marc J. Spears reported that Doncic is “targeting next week” as his return from a calf injury that has kept him out since Christmas Day.
