Luka Doncic lost out on a supermax contract extension when he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers by the Dallas Mavericks. That deal was going to be worth roughly $345M over five years.
The Lakers are an organization that looks after its top-tier talent. On Saturday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Doncic signed a three-year contract extension worth $165M. The most important part of that new deal is the fact that the final year will be a player option.
Shortly after breaking the news, Charania appeared on “SportsCenter” to explain why the player option was so key to Doncic’s deal. Charania explained how the Lakers had helped line up his new extension so that he could receive a supermax contract in 2028.
“In 2028, he’s going to have a player option in that deal,” Charania said. “He could opt out of that deal and sign a projected five-year, $417M contract. That would then allow him to recoup all of the money he lost in that supermax that he missed out on this offseason.”
If Doncic does sign a supermax with the Lakers in 2028, which would be highly likely given the finances involved, they would have their superstar locked down until his mid-30s. That would ensure general manager Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office have an elite star on the roster for close to the next decade, thus keeping a championship window ajar.
The Lakers and Doncic’s agents would have circled 2028 as the perfect time to negotiate a longer-term deal. Both sides had every reason to ensure a player option was inserted for that summer. Not only does it give Doncic the feeling of controlling his future, but it also generates some valuable goodwill between the player and the franchise.
Doncic’s future supermax will be worth almost half a billion dollars. Los Angeles is clearly all-in on moving forward with him as its crown jewel.
But for that sort of money, the Lakers must add to their championship collection during the Doncic era. Otherwise, serious questions will be asked about Doncic’s legacy.
That’s a conversation for 10-15 years from now, though, and nothing anybody needs to worry about in the short or even mid-term.
