Luka Dončić will be with the Los Angeles Lakers for the foreseeable future. While his time with LeBron James won’t be for very long because James only has so much time left in the NBA, the two will be teammates for at least one season.
While Dončić’s extension with the Lakers is exciting enough as is for the foreseeable future, there’s also a potential wrinkle to his deal that would put him in a highly exclusive club with James.
Dončić’s New Deal Opens the Door for No-Trade Clause
In his latest Substack post, Marc Stein explained that Dončić could get a no-trade clause on his next deal with the Lakers (not the one he just signed) if he follows certain conditions.
“Dončić will be eligible to have a full no-trade clause added to his next deal as long as he goes to unrestricted free agency and signs an all-new contract,” Stein wrote. “NBA players can only become eligible for a full no-trade clause with eight years of service time and four with the same team. No-trade clauses, however, can only be added to a new contract; league rules preclude them from being added to extensions.”
Stein added further details about how it’s possible for Dončić to get the no-trade clause even if by the time his next contract with them ends, he won’t have technically played four full years
“Dončić will have technically spent only 3 1/2 seasons as a Laker by the time he can decline his 2028-29 player option and become a free agent, but league sources tell The Stein Line that he’ll indeed be deemed a four-year Laker at that point because he will have finished four consecutive seasons in purple and gold at that stage,” Stein wrote.
Going behind the scenes on Luka Dončić Contract Extension Day in LA … AND around-the-league on many more topics in my latest Sunday Best Notes: https://t.co/tKIZCowERx
📸: @Lakers pic.twitter.com/EMWOI1srMK
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 3, 2025
Even though Dončić would be eligible for the no-trade clause, it doesn’t mean the Lakers would automatically offer it to him. At the same time, ‘It’s Luka Dončić!‘ Any team that has a special player like him for the foreseeable future would give that and then some if given the chance.
Read More: NBA Insider Reveals Whether LeBron James Contacted Lakers Teammate Luka Dončić After $165M Extension
The Lakers have a bad history with handling their previous star players. However, they were handed an all-time player on a silver platter. As ridiculous as the unbelievable Dončić trade still is, the only way that level of ridiculousness could be topped is if the Lakers somehow messed it up. Pending any unforeseen surprises, they probably won’t.
If only the Dallas Mavericks could have felt the same way…
