The Los Angeles Lakers stunned the NBA world when they traded for ex-Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić earlier this month. General manager Rob Pelinka unexpectedly added the 25-year-old star to extend the franchise’s championship window.
Trading for Dončić was one of the most lauded moves in trade deadline history. The Lakers acquired a 25-year-old bona fide All-NBA player for an aging and injury-prone Anthony Davis (31). Although most fans have responded positively for the Lakers, L.A.’s next challenge is securing Dončić long-term, and ESPN insider Brian Windhorst believes that could be a problem for the purple and gold.
Brian Windhorst Says Lakers Face Mounting Pressure To Re-Sign Luka Dončić
Windhorst explained that Dončić can re-sign with the Lakers starting Aug. 2, but if he does not agree to an extension before the contract extension deadline, he could decline his player option after the 2025-26 season and become an unrestricted free agent.
.@WindhorstESPN says the pressure is on the Lakers between now and August 2nd "to get Luka to sign that extension."
"He never said, 'I want to be a Laker.' … He's gotta see how they build this team around him." pic.twitter.com/wN46RX5LV3
— First Take (@FirstTake)
“The pressure is on the [Lakers] between now and Aug. 2 to get Luka to sign that extension,” Windhorst said. “That’s where the pressure is because Luka doesn’t have his incentive to sign in [Los Angeles]”
Lakers fans may not want to hear it, but Windhorst is right. There was no indication that Dončić ever wanted to be dealt from the Mavericks. He loved his time in Dallas and reportedly cried after he found out he was traded.
Dončić would have been eligible for a five-year, $346 million extension with his former team had he not been traded. Instead, he can only sign a four-year, $228 million extension with the Lakers, meaning he missed out on upward of $100 million. This is because the new CBA dictates that players can only sign supermax extensions with the team they signed their rookie extension with.
On the bright side for Los Angeles, there is a loophole in the contract rules. He could sign a 2+1 extension (two-year deal with a Year 3 option) with L.A. in the offseason for three years and $165 million. By the time that deal is up, he will have 10 years of service and be eligible to sign a five-year, $418 million contract, which would easily be the most lucrative in NBA history.
The Slovenian standout has underperformed for his standards while he eases his way back from a calf strain. He scored 14 points on 5-for-18 shooting during the Feb. 19 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. In three games with the Lakers, Dončić is averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
While the focus for the Lakers right now is to win games and climb the Western Conference standings, the organization now has another issue to worry about. Even if Pelinka still has plenty of time to extend the ballyhooed superstar, the concern will undoubtedly grow if it is not done shortly after the Aug. 2 deadline.
