Lakers “stressed out” as Luka Doncic’s extension deadline nears: Report

As per a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the LA Lakers are “stressed out” about extending Luka Doncic. The Lakers acquired the superstar in a blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in February. If Dallas hadn't traded him, he would’ve been eligible to sign a $345 million supermax extension in 2025-26.

The Mavericks were hesitant to extend Doncic on such a large deal. He will enter the second-last year of his five-year, $215 million deal. He has a player option for the last season and will be eligible to sign an extension at the start of 2025-26.

As per Windhorst, the Lakers are "a little bit stressed out" that if Doncic doesn’t agree to an extension next season, teams around the league will begin to pursue him. There’s no telling what kind of offers teams will make, considering Doncic is one of the best players in the league.

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Doncic made 50 appearances last season, averaging 28.2 points, 7.7 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game. He helped LeBron James & Co. secure the third seed in the Western Conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves knocked them out in the first round of the playoffs.

A less-than-ideal outcome for Doncic, who led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024. If the Lakers don’t do enough to build a contending roster around the star guard, he could end up signing with another team.

Brian Windhorst says Luka Doncic’s extension could be delayed until September

ESPN's Brian Windhorst says that Luka Doncic’s contract extension with the Lakers could be delayed until September. The Slovenian superstar is currently with his country’s basketball team for the EuroBasket tournament. The competition could run until late September, depending on how far Slovenia gets.

Windhorst says that Doncic has refrained from doing NBA business while playing for his national team, which could delay his extension.

"He may not be back in the U.S. if the Slovenians get all the way until the end, until late September,” Windhorst said Tuesday. “In the past, when playing for the National team, he has not done NBA business, including NBA contracts.”

Even if Doncic intends to stay on with the Lakers, it is possible that an official extension won’t be signed until the end of the EuroBasket tournament.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Krutik Jain