When the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off arguably the biggest blockbuster trade in NBA history back in February that sent 10-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for superstar point guard Luka Doncic, many believed it signaled the latter would be in purple and gold for the foreseeable future.
However, Doncic is only under contract for one more year with a $45.9 million cap hit in 2025 (he also has a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27), and there hasn’t been much talk about him signing a long-term contract extension with L.A.
Doncic is eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million max contract on Aug. 2, which is significantly less than the $345.3 million deal he could’ve signed had he stuck with the Mavericks.
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He could also opt for a shorter three-year, $165 million contract, which would allow him to reach free agency sooner and accrue his 10 years of NBA service, making him eligible for a five-year, $418 million extension in 2028.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst cautioned Lakers fan earlier this week not to worry if there’s no traction on a Doncic deal until September (he’s currently with the Slovenian national team for EuroBasket 2025), but during an appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Tuesday, Windhorst also explained that Doncic’s contract situation is “stressing” the Lakers out.
Windy: “This is a stress max right now for Luka. The Lakers are a little bit stressed out about it. They want the no stress max” https://t.co/LJjPmW4O0m pic.twitter.com/lqs1reLA4H
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) July 15, 2025
“There’s the stress max — this happens when it’s a player’s second max contract,” Windhorst said. “This is when players sometimes leave, or are not really worth it. This is a stress max right now for Luka. The Lakers are a little bit stressed out about it.
“… This is a stress max situation, so if he signs it, relief for the Lakers, they can spend a little time looking at their roster over the next two or three years. Making decisions that are not going to be based upon what’s best for us tomorrow, what are we going to present to Luka in 2026, we can think about what the team looks like in 27-28, etc.
“If he doesn’t sign it, he can be a free agent next summer when there’s going to be 10-plus teams with cap space. If he does not sign it, we will see teams begin to open up maneuvers to try to chase Luka. And every day will go by where every sort of wobble with the Lakers — everything will be tied to the Luka contract.”
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LeBron James is only locked into one more season with the Lakers after exercising his $52.6 million player option.
He’s expressed wanting to win one more title before he retires, so if the Lakers don’t build what he deems a championship-caliber roster, he could force his way out of L.A. with a trade or a buyout.
If James leaves the Lakers this season or next, that would leave Doncic as the face of the franchise.
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