Luka Doncic laughs off Lakers trouble with perfect response
Pressed about his Los Angeles Lakers future, Doncic knew the risks. His quick one-liner had the ‘Today Show’ studio cracking up.
Luka Doncic is everywhere in the NBA news cycle this week. The Slovenian star is in the U.S. on a promotional tour with Jordan Brand before heading back home to prepare for EuroBasket, which runs from August 27 to September 14.
The tour kicked off with a splash in Men’s Health, which showcased his dramatic physical transformation. “Just visually, I’d say my body looks better,” Doncic said with a laugh. He’s also been spotted catching a Yankees game in the Bronx and sitting down on NBC’s Today Show.
Doncic pushed for Lakers contract extension update
It was there that he was pressed on the story dominating league chatter: the possibility of an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers as soon as this Saturday.
Doncic, well aware that even hinting at early negotiations could draw a fine from the league, dodged the question with humor. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, cracking up the hosts.
“I can’t negotiate anything yet. That would get me in trouble,” he added, smiling.
Luka Doncic’s future: Multimillion-dollar options
Trouble or not, Doncic has no shortage of options—all of them worth hundreds of millions.
He could ink a four-year, $228.6 million extension with the Lakers, though that figure falls well short of the five-year, $345 million mega-deal he could’ve signed had the Mavericks never traded him.
If he chooses another route, a more calculated path is also in play: declining his player option and signing a three-year, $165 million deal. That would set him up perfectly to cash in after his 10th NBA season with a potential five-year, $418 million payday—the biggest in league history.
There’s also the straight-up free agency route. Staying with the Lakers as a free agent could land him a five-year, $259.9 million contract, while bolting to another franchise would bring in $219.4 million over four years.
Either way, Luka Doncic is about to reshape the NBA’s financial landscape—again.
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