The Los Angeles Lakers must adjust their mindset after their season-ending 103-96 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last Wednesday.
Luka Doncic, eligible for a $229 million extension this summer, will feel pressure from the Lakers to ink a long-term deal with the franchise.
Although Los Angeles hasn’t received a commitment from the former face of the Dallas Mavericks, NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fisher provided a helpful update regarding the pivotal subject.
“The maximum extension that the Lakers can offer Doncic this summer is a four-year deal worth nearly $230 million,” Stein and Fischer wrote Sunday.
Doncic, though, has one season left on his current contract and thus likewise holds the option of emulating Cleveland’s (Cavaliers) Donovan Mitchell by signing a three-year extension (valued at $165 million) with a player option for Year 3.”
“That would enable him to return to free agency in the summer of 2028 and negotiate a new deal in a higher pay bracket once he has accrued 10 years’ of service time.
Doncic was a revelation for the Lakers after joining the franchise in an unexpected mid-season blockbuster trade.
After Doncic arrived in Los Angeles, the Lake Show made positive strides during the second-half stretch of the regular season.
The cool, calm, and collective 6-foot-6 playmaker averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game, shooting 43.8% from the field and 37.9% from three-point land.
The third-seeded Lakers were outplayed and outcoached by Chris Finch’s sixth-seeded Timberwolves in the opening round of the playoffs, ending their 2024-25 campaign on the first day of May.
While Doncic didn’t play his best basketball on the defensive end, he carried the offensive load for the Lakers on the big stage.
The former No. 3 overall pick poured in 30.2 points, pulled down 7.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in the five-game first-round series, connecting on 45.2% of his field goals and 34.8% of his three-point jumpers.
With Doncic’s partner in crime, LeBron James, soon exiting the league, the Lakers should ensure the superstar guard remains with the franchise for the foreseeable future.
