The Los Angeles Lakers, from left, Coach JJ Redick, Maxi Kleber, Marcus Sensible, Gabe Vincent, Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, Adou Thiero, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and common supervisor Rob Pelinka. congratulate Doncic on his three-year, $165 contract extension on the Lakers’ coaching complicated in El Segundo, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photograph/Greg Beacham)
EL SEGUNDO, California — Luka Doncic’s first six months with the Los Angeles Lakers have been greater than sufficient to present him a imaginative and prescient of a glittering long-term future along with his new workforce.
He sees championship banners, trophies and workforce success whereas dwelling in a cosmopolitan metropolis and enjoying for a world-famous workforce.
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Behind-the-scenes of Luka signing his extension. pic.twitter.com/qMNwHOLsWj
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 2, 2025
He envisions his identify and quantity within the rafters alongside each different transcendent nice to put on the Lakers’ gold jersey.
So Doncic took the following step towards turning his desires into actuality Saturday when he agreed to a three-year, $165 million most contract extension by means of 2028 with the Lakers, bypassing an opportunity at free company subsequent summer season.
“Being a Laker is an honor, and I wished to be right here,” Doncic stated throughout a information convention below the title banners and retired numbers festooning the health club on the Lakers’ coaching complicated. “Whenever you search for right here, so many nice names and what they’ve achieved. I need to be up there too at some point.”
The deal ought to maintain the 26-year-old Doncic with Los Angeles by means of 2028 below a participant choice for the ultimate season, after which he’ll be eligible for a large five-year extension that would permit him to recoup the max cash he misplaced by getting traded by Dallas. The Slovenian celebrity had a participant choice for the 2026-27 season below his earlier contract.
An individual with information of the deal confirmed the phrases to The Related Press. The individual spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the Lakers don’t publicly announce the small print of contracts.
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I simply signed my extension with the Lakers. Excited to maintain working to convey championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all of the followers who’ve proven a lot love since day one. That is just the start. 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/PrTfTxxlpU
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) August 2, 2025
The Lakers acquired Doncic from the Mavericks final February in a seismic commerce for Anthony Davis. The five-time All-NBA choice and a five-time All-Star averaged 28.2 factors, 8.2 assists and seven.7 rebounds per recreation final season whereas teaming up with LeBron James for 50 victories and the No. 3 seed within the Western Convention playoffs.
Though his debut season in Los Angeles ended with a first-round playoff loss to Minnesota, the high-scoring guard says he significantly loved his first months in Hollywood — sufficient to decide to the Lakers for the remainder of his 20s, and nearly actually past.
“It’s an honor enjoying for this group,” Doncic stated. “Many, many nice gamers performed right here, so clearly I need to add yet another up there. That’s what we’re working for.”
In one other signal of his reinvigorated ardour, Doncic confirmed that he has been doing in depth summer season conditioning and energy work after the Mavericks’ questions on his bodily dedication to the game reportedly performed a job in his stunning departure from Dallas.
Doncic appeared trim and athletic at his information convention, and he chuckled whereas saying he’ll “clearly be a bit of bit quicker” subsequent season.
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“Simply making an attempt to assist the workforce condition-wise,” Doncic stated. “Taking part in a whole lot of minutes, a whole lot of video games, so I feel it’s going to be the very best for me.”
Reaching the take care of no drama or delay can be a major coup for the Lakers, whose future seems even brighter with Doncic below contract lower than two months after the Buss household agreed to promote a controlling stake within the franchise to a deep-pocketed group led by Dodgers proprietor Mark Walter.
Doncic will return this fall alongside James, who will start his unprecedented twenty third NBA season. Whereas Doncic’s preeminent significance to the Lakers has been apparent from the second they acquired him, common supervisor Rob Pelinka on Saturday referred to as Doncic “the centerpiece and the muse piece” of the Lakers going ahead.
James didn’t attend Doncic’s information convention, however Pelinka stated the connection between the Lakers and the highest scorer in NBA historical past remains to be sturdy even after James’ agent, Wealthy Paul, made pointed feedback about James’ need for the Lakers to be a championship contender when James agreed to return this summer season.
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“All of the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp have been constructive and supportive,” Pelinka stated when requested if he thought the Lakers can be James’ remaining workforce. “The dialogue with him has been open and fixed. … The No. 1 factor we’ve to do (with James’ future) is respect him and his household’s resolution. We need to respect his alternative to provide you with his timetable on that. If he had an opportunity to retire as a Laker, that might be nice.”
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Doncic’s consolation with the Lakers was already apparent in his offseason exercise: He performed a major position in Los Angeles’ profitable bids to signal Deandre Ayton and Marcus Sensible, serving to to influence the 2 veterans to workforce up with him for the upcoming season.
Doncic stated he campaigned with each gamers as a result of he revered them as opponents. Ayton, Sensible and a number of other different Lakers confirmed up in El Segundo to congratulate Doncic on his new deal.
“Truthfully, I feel we’ve an excellent workforce,” Doncic stated. “We’ve what we have to compete for the championship. I’ll convey no matter I can convey and attempt to win each recreation it doesn’t matter what. We’ve obtained some new nice guys on the workforce, so you understand we’re going to go for it.”
