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A Slovenian news site made a surprising claim that Luka Doncic has already agreed to a $229 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. The star point guard who is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2027 is about to become eligible for a max extension. The Lakers shocked the NBA world when they were able to pull off a stunning trade for the five-time first-team All-Pro during the regular season. Los Angeles's entire trajectory changed with the addition of Doncic, who is still just 26 years old and is expected to have his best years ahead of him.
And it's no surprise to anyone that the Lakers want to ensure Luka is in the City of Angels for the long run. While the Ljubljana, Slovenia native cannot sign anything until he becomes fully extension-eligible on August 2, Martin Pavcnik of the Slovenian athletic news site Sportklub recently reported that Doncic's long-term future is secure.
“The American media speculated that Luka, who has been sculpting his body in recent weeks, losing several kilograms and reducing his body fat percentage, might be delaying signing a new contract since September. There were even hints that he might wait until next summer, when he would be a completely free player and available to all clubs. But it seems that the uncertainty will soon be over. Dončić is said to have agreed to a four-year extension worth 229 million US dollars.”
The Lakers are at a crossroads as they attempt to balance winning now with preserving their future title chances. LeBron James is still one of the best players in the world, but he is now 40 years old. So far, the front office has attempted to strike a balance between prioritizing cap space for 2027 and addressing the precise needs of the current roster. Recently, the franchise signed former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton to a two-year deal. Ayton is still just 27 years old and, despite the up-and-downs in his career, should be a significant upgrade at center for a Lakers' team that struggled significantly at that position last season.
Overall, if Pavcnik's report is correct, today is a great day for this franchise. Doncic is a generational talent who should consistently have Los Angeles in title contention for the foreseeable future. The front office must ultimately continue to work on providing its star point guard with the necessary supporting cast to compete with the elite of the Western Conference as he hopefully continues to improve. Because, in this era with this talent, a first-round playoff loss, like the one last season to the Minnesota Timberwolves, is not acceptable.
