Having pulled off one of the most shocking trades in NBA history to acquire Luka Dončić, the next step for the Los Angeles Lakers will be getting the five-time All-Star to sign a contract extension this summer.
On Tuesday’s episode of Get Up, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst did suggest it’s “not a guarantee” that Dončić signs for the max he’s eligible for with the Lakers in the offseason.
There are several factors that Dončić and his camp will almost certainly consider before he makes any long-term decisions as he prepares to begin his Lakers tenure.
Perhaps the biggest factor for Dončić is money. He 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.
Per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha (starts at 56:05 mark), Dončić 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 after accruing 10 years of service time to maximize his earnings.
The most Dončić could sign for this summer with the Lakers is four years and $229 million, but it’s also been pointed out because of how NBA rules work that it would be more financially beneficial if he took a shorter deal.
Dončić has one more guaranteed year plus a $48.97 million player option for 2026-27 on his current contract.
Another factor for Dončić is how the fit with the organization works out.
Dončić and LeBron James will have to learn to play together for as long as they are teammates. James isn’t a long-term solution in Los Angeles at the age of 40, but it will be interesting to see how two ball-dominant superstars mesh while they are playing together.
This is an entirely new organization for Dončić, and he’s never worked with any of these people before, so it’s plausible he doesn’t like the fit.
Dwight Howard didn’t like how things went in his first go-round in L.A. during the 2012-13 season and opted to take a smaller max from the Houston Rockets as a free agent in the summer of 2013 rather than re-sign with the Lakers.
The Lakers have every incentive to make sure Dončić is happy and comfortable in his new surroundings, even if it comes at some expense to their relationship with James. James is still an incredible player, but there’s speculation he will retire after next season.
Dončić will turn 26 on Feb. 28 and already has five All-NBA first-team selections under his belt. He is the future of the organization and one of the best building blocks in the NBA.
It might not be long before Lakers fans get to see what their future looks like. Andscape’s Marc J. Spears reported that Dončić is “targeting next week” as his return from a calf injury that has kept him out since Christmas Day.
The Lakers go into the All-Star break after a home-and-home with the Utah Jazz on Feb. 10 and 12, with the first game at Crypto.com Arena.
Dončić averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game in 22 starts for the Dallas Mavericks this season prior to the trade.
