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Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Lakers
Aug 2, 2025 1:10 PM EDT
It’s official: Luka Doncic is the face of the Los Angeles Lakers and will be for at least the next four seasons. On Saturday, he signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension, keeping him in LA through the 2028-29 NBA season.
Last year, the Dallas Mavericks famously traded him to the Lakers simply because they did not want to commit the five-year “supermax” contract to him this summer, which would have been worth roughly $270.6 million.
Had the Mavericks kept him, like fans wanted and expected, he could have made about $105 million more for just one extra year of service, although Nico Harrison backstabbed his superstar and his fan base.
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When this new extension is up for an extension of its own in 2028, Doncic could be eligible for an additional five years and $417 million, taking him through his age 35 season and likely the rest of his prime.
Doncic was supposed to be the successor to Dirk Nowitzki, a loyal Maverick for his entire career, and even now that he is expected to be a long-term member of the Purple and Gold, he makes it clear that the trade came as a massive shock.
Nowitzki went through both individual and team highs and lows during his 21 seasons in Dallas, endearing him to fan bases. Like Dirk, Luka led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals early in his career, although he was not given a chance to run things back and eventually win a ring.
While fans pine for Doncic to return to Dallas, it’s likely that he will take the money and stay in Hollywood. It’s hard not to blame him; the Mavericks showed him that business comes first, and now he will get to line his pockets and chase championships for a team that seems to want him.
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Jonah Kubicek