EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Luka Doncic’s first six months with the Los Angeles Lakers have been greater than sufficient to offer him a imaginative and prescient of a glittering long-term future together with his new workforce.
He sees championship banners, trophies and workforce success whereas dwelling in a cosmopolitan metropolis and taking part in for a world-famous workforce.
He envisions his title and quantity within the rafters alongside each different transcendent nice to put on the Lakers’ gold jersey.
So Doncic took the subsequent step towards turning his desires into actuality Saturday when he agreed to a three-year, $165-million most contract extension by 2028 with the Lakers, bypassing an opportunity at free company subsequent summer time.
“Being a Laker is an honour, and I wished to be right here,” Doncic stated throughout a information convention beneath the title banners and retired numbers festooning the fitness center on the Lakers’ coaching complicated. “If you lookup right here, so many nice names and what they’ve achieved. I need to be up there too sooner or later.”
The deal ought to preserve the 26-year-old Doncic with Los Angeles by 2028 beneath a participant possibility for the ultimate season, after which he’ll be eligible for an enormous five-year extension that would permit him to recoup the max cash he misplaced by getting traded by Dallas. The Slovenian famous person had a participant possibility for the 2026-27 season beneath his earlier contract.
An individual with data 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.
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 enormously loved his first months in Hollywood — sufficient to decide to the Lakers for the remainder of his 20s, and virtually actually past.
“It’s an honour taking part in 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 time conditioning and energy work after the Mavericks’ questions on his bodily dedication to the game reportedly performed a task in his stunning departure from Dallas.
Doncic appeared trim and athletic at his information convention, and he chuckled whereas saying he’ll “clearly be slightly bit quicker” subsequent season.
“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 believe it’s going to be the perfect for me.”
Reaching the take care of no drama or delay can be a major coup for the Lakers, whose future seems to be even brighter with Doncic beneath 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 did not attend Doncic’s information convention, however Pelinka stated the connection between the Lakers and the highest scorer in NBA historical past continues to be robust even after James’ agent, Wealthy Paul, made pointed feedback about James’ want for the Lakers to be a championship contender when James agreed to return this summer time.
“All of the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp have been optimistic and supportive,” Pelinka stated when requested if he thought the Lakers could be James’ ultimate workforce. “The dialogue with him has been open and fixed. … The No. 1 factor we have now to do (with James’ future) is respect him and his household’s determination. 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 may be nice.”
Doncic’s consolation with the Lakers was already apparent in his low season exercise: He performed a major position in Los Angeles’ profitable bids to signal Deandre Ayton and Marcus Sensible, serving to to steer 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 believe we have now a fantastic workforce,” Doncic stated. “We’ve what we have to compete for the championship. I’ll carry no matter I can carry and attempt to win each recreation it doesn’t matter what. We’ve obtained some new nice guys on the workforce, so we’re going to go for it.”
