The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be setting the stage for a future centered around Luka Doncic, signaling a shift away from the LeBron James era. Given Doncic’s age, upside, and the hefty price the team paid to acquire him, it’s understandable that GM Rob Pelinka is eager to lock him down with a contract extension.
However, ESPN insider Tim McMahon says fans might have to be patient before any deal is finalized — and it’s all because of the specific timing of Doncic’s current contract.
“The whole reason [Doncic’s extension eligibility date is] Aug. 2 and not like July 2 is because it has to be timed to when the contract was signed,” McMahon explained during an appearance on The Hoop Collective podcast.
McMahon also noted that Doncic is currently prioritizing international competition and won’t be entering serious contract talks until after the tournament.
“The reason the contract was signed Aug. 2 is because his deal with the Mavericks was, ‘Hey, I’m going to go play for Slovenia. This is the year they qualify for the Olympics and then make the run in the Olympics and we’ll take care of this after the Olympics.’ So I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he told the Lakers, ‘Hey, EuroBasket is coming and I’m going to play in EuroBasket for my national team, and we’ll take care of this after that,’” he added.
Doncic had the opportunity to ink a five-year, $345 million supermax extension with the Dallas Mavericks, but the trade that brought him to L.A. trimmed that figure down. He’s now eligible for a four-year deal worth approximately $230 million.
With a player option available after next season and nearly $46 million guaranteed for 2025–26, a long-term extension seems beneficial for both sides. But as this trade already showed, nothing is certain in today’s NBA.
