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Dave McMenamin
When Luka Doncic introduced his arrival in New York Metropolis this previous Sunday, his mere presence stateside signaled a momentous week forward. It was the primary time since he entered the NBA that the famous person had deserted his summer season break in Europe to return to the U.S. earlier than coaching camp, a supply near Doncic advised ESPN.
The journey was offered as a promotional tour for the Jordan Model signature athlete. Doncic began off by visiting Yankee Stadium to hold with fellow Jordan pitchman, Aaron Decide, after which headed west: first to MJ’s outdated stomping grounds in Chicago earlier than ending in Los Angeles.
What it grew to become was a cross-country runway strut to point out off the 26-year-old’s trimmed physique and an announcement that L.A. might be greater than only a momentary house after the five-time All-Star’s surprising commerce from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers on Feb. 1.
Doncic intends to sign a three-year, $165 million contract extension in individual with the Lakers on Saturday, the primary day the franchise was eligible to supply him one, sources advised ESPN’s Shams Charania. The third yr might be a participant choice, sources stated.
Three months after Doncic’s first postseason look in L.A. was lower quick, with the No. 3-seeded Lakers shedding to the No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in 5 video games, Doncic’s dietary self-discipline — and bold body transformation captured on the duvet of Males’s Well being — was an announcement by itself. It confirmed Doncic was heeding the directive he laid out throughout his final information convention of the season after the first-round exit.
“Everyone’s received to get higher,” Doncic stated then. “We’ll have a protracted summer season. And may give attention to what we will enhance as a group and as people. Everyone.”
Because it seems, he was talking for a gaggle he intends to guide into its subsequent period. Now that Doncic’s determination to remain has addressed the largest precedence for the Lakers’ offseason, listed here are three lingering questions forward of Luka’s first full season in L.A.
Why signal for 3 years as an alternative of 4?
The biggest contract the Lakers might have provided Doncic was a four-year, $229 million deal, in accordance with ESPN NBA entrance workplace insider Bobby Marks. So, after already lacking the possibility to signal a five-year, $345 million supermax extension had he stayed in Dallas — to not point out the distinction between state taxes in California and Texas — why would he go away a further $64 million in assured cash on the desk?
By signing a 2-plus-1 extension, Doncic can grow to be an unrestricted free agent in both 2028 or 2029, when he’ll have already got 10 years of service within the league.
Based mostly on Marks’ annual cap projection of 10%, there might be one other huge payday coming for Doncic.
The Lakers will be capable to re-do his deal in the summertime of 2027 and provide him a four-year, $323 million extension at that time.
Alternatively, if Doncic performs the 2 assured extra years on his deal and declines his participant choice for 2028-29, he might signal a five-year extension at that time value round $418 million in his age-29 season. That potential deal might make him the primary participant in league historical past to land an $80 million season wage, taking house practically $1 million per recreation: A staggering figure.
The final yr of the deal can be approaching 9 figures at $95 million — a premium worth because the face of a $10 billion franchise.
What are Doncic’s expectations for the upcoming season?
Processing the commerce from Dallas took Doncic a while. Based mostly on the way in which the franchise and fanbase handled him in his early days within the league, he figured he would retire a Maverick after spending his complete profession in Dallas, the identical means franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki did. And after beginning his skilled profession with Actual Madrid as a young person, he by no means even thought of being traded as a chance, a supply near Doncic advised ESPN. Offers like that hardly ever, if ever, occur within the Liga ACB.
When the shock subsided, a supply acquainted with Doncic advised ESPN his mindset shifted again to when he was final suiting up for Dallas: Win-now mode.
Doncic might need made a multiyear dedication to the Lakers, however he expects to be in competition yearly. Doncic displayed his urgency by means of his offseason health routine and taking a job in recruiting each Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to L.A.
And he has performed it by taking a partnership method. After Lakers president of basketball operations and common supervisor Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick took Doncic and his enterprise supervisor, Lara Beth Seager, to dinner in May, the 6-foot-6 guard left with a better understanding of the group’s books. The group left with a greater understanding of Doncic’s needs.
“I do not need to wait,” Doncic advised the desk, a supply acquainted with the dialog advised ESPN. “I had a style of the Finals. I get again there. So let’s do no matter we will now.”
Pelinka and Redick used the dinner to look at future cap area, the picks they owned, the picks they did not personal and to debate how one can deal with their future collectively. Doncic was inspired to share the archetypal gamers he felt the roster might use — a pick-and-pop man, a defensive stopper, a rim protector — so the Lakers might determine practical gamers to suit that mildew.
How do the Lakers really feel?
In a phrase? “Excited,” a supply acquainted with the Lakers’ pondering advised ESPN.
The group’s targets are aligned with Doncic’s within the quick time period — and LeBron James’ as properly, for that matter. “It is a group that desires to win championships,” a Lakers supply advised ESPN. “That hasn’t modified and it will not change sooner or later.”
Whereas the group’s aversion to providing free agent ahead Dorian Finney-Smith a deal that prolonged past 2027 — main him to signal with the Houston Rockets — left some across the league with the impression that L.A. was preserving cap area to go after a giant identify in free company that summer season, a supply acquainted with the Lakers’ pondering insists that their technique is motivated by flexibility, not pining for an additional potential star.
Would multiple-time MVP winners Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo look nice in a Lakers uniform? After all. The true mission, nonetheless, is to present the group as a lot margin to pivot as doable — both fueled by want or alternative — every season whereas sustaining championship aspirations.
As one Lakers supply put it: “If you do not have optionality, you get caught.”
From the day L.A. parted with Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round choose to amass Doncic, it was crucial to safe this dedication.
Now that they’ve performed so, the following period of Lakers basketball formally begins.