Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić has agreed to a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension, which includes a player option for the 2028 season. The deal replaces his previous 2026–27 player option and keeps him out of free agency next summer.
By signing this new contract, Dončić positions himself for a potential five-year, $417 million deal in 2028, when he would be eligible to sign for 35% of the salary cap. The structure of the deal not only secures his immediate future in Los Angeles but also allows him to recoup the earnings he lost when he was traded from the Dallas Mavericks, missing out on a potential five-year, $315 million supermax extension.
Dončić, a five-time All-NBA First Team selection, was acquired by the Lakers in February in a blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick to Dallas. The deal, one of the most shocking in NBA history, instantly reshaped the Lakers’ franchise direction.
After debuting with the Lakers on February 10, Dončić played 28 games for Los Angeles, averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while recovering from a calf injury sustained on December 25 as a Maverick. Combined with his time in Dallas, Dončić averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists across a career-low 50 games last season.
Despite not being fully healthy during his stint in Los Angeles, Dončić led the Lakers in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and three-pointers per game. However, the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games. Dončić struggled in Game 3 due to illness, scoring just 17 points, and later acknowledged the mental toll the midseason trade had taken on him.
Still, Dončić’s postseason pedigree remains elite. He made history during the Mavericks’ 2024 Finals run by becoming the first player ever to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. In his first playoff series with the Lakers, he became just the fifth player in franchise history to average at least 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a series.
Off the court, Dončić has embraced his role as the face of the franchise. He played a major role in the team’s offseason acquisitions of Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, recruiting Smart personally while traveling overseas and maintaining a close relationship with Ayton, the number one pick in their shared 2018 draft class.
Back in Los Angeles on Saturday, Dončić expressed a renewed sense of comfort with his situation. “I feel way better now,” he said, noting the difference of being involved in the team’s direction and roster building this time around. Now committed long term, Dončić appears ready to lead the Lakers into a new era with his sights set firmly on competing for a championship.
