Luka Doncic has made his commitment to the Los Angeles Lakers clear. He recently agree to a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension with the team that included a player option on the third season.
As expected, he will remain the face of the Lakers moving into the future.
While LeBron James is still in town, the longtime superstar is now 40 years old. The end of his career is drawing near and Los Angeles has pivoted to have a superstar to build around for years to come.
After pulling off the shocking blockbuster trade to acquire Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks last season, the Lakers needed to get a long-term deal in place with him. Thankfully, that process was quick and easy.
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Following the extension, Doncic received a heartfelt message on social media from former Los Angeles star Pau Gasol.
“Congratulations on your extension, happy for you and proud of the efforts your foundation is making to break down the barriers that too often stand in the way of young athletes chasing their dreams,” Gasol wrote on X.
Doncic has made it a point to use his foundation to give back to young athletes. Gasol has joined his team, as has Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
Last season after being traded to the Lakers, Doncic played in 28 games with his new team. He averaged 28.2 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.6 steals, while also shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and knocking down 37.9 percent of his three-point attempts.
Los Angeles made a run to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the team was quickly defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games the first round.
During the offseason, the Lakers have made a few moves to improve around Doncic. Deandre Ayton was the big addition at center, while Rob Pelinka also signed both Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart to add more quality depth.
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Only time will tell if Doncic can lead Los Angeles back to being a top-tier NBA Finals contender. For now, he’s made it clear that he’s with the Lakers to stay and that he wants to win at a high level.
It will be interesting to see what the 2025 season has in store.
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