Luka Doncic contract projection: Explaining the Lakers’ deadline to extend superstar in 2025

There are risks associated with every sports transaction, and the Lakers took a calculated one with the move to acquire Luka Doncic from the Mavericks.

Day-to-day concerns aside, the nature of Los Angeles’ shocking move comes with a new set of follow-up questions. Typically, a team gets a long-term verbal commitment before moving to acquire a player of Donic’s caliber. Because this was essentially a stealth deal, it was agreed upon before any conversations with Doncic or his representation could be held.

As the Lakers look to impress Doncic with their play and roster construction, questions around his long-term future in Tinseltown loom. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently explained how Los Angeles is working against the clock to get Doncic to sign a contract extension.

“The pressure is on the organization between now and Aug. 2 to get Luka to sign that extension,” Windhorst said. “He never said, ‘I want to be a Laker.’ … He’s gotta see how they build this team around him.

Here is a breakdown of what to expect with these negotiations and why Aug. 2 is a key date for the Lakers and several other teams that may be monitoring the situation.

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Luka Doncic contract projectionDoncic is no longer supermax-eligible and will miss out on more than $116 million of guaranteed salary because of the trade.

That said, there is a clear path for him to recoup most — if not all — of that money with a contract extension.

As outlined by ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Doncic could sign a three-year contract extension with a player option for the 2028-29 NBA season. The deal would be worth roughly $165 million over those three seasons.

In that scenario, Doncic would remain under contract through his 10th NBA season and become supermax-eligible with the Lakers as he would reach 10 years of NBA service. Opting out of that 2028-29 season would open the door for a new supermax deal.

Based on cap projections, Marks lists the starting salary for the 2028-29 season as $72 million.

Luka Doncic contract extension deadlineDeadline date: Aug. 2, 2025The Lakers have until Aug. 2, 2025, to reach a long-term contract extension with Doncic. 

Failure to reach an extension does not end Doncic’s chances of having a long-term future in Los Angeles, but it increases the difficulty of retaining him. As it stands, Doncic could opt to enter free agency at the end of the 2025-26 season, something the Lakers are looking to avoid.

Signing Doncic to a contract extension by the deadline essentially shores up Doncic’s short- and long-term future in L.A., allowing the front office to shift its focus on building around the young superstar.

MORE: Luka Doncic trade winners and losers, from Kyrie Irving to Luka’s contract

Luka Doncic contractIn 2021, Doncic signed a five-year rookie contract extension worth $215.2 million.

The deal runs through the 2025-26 season with a player option for 2026-27, meaning Doncic could opt out to become an unrestricted free agent as soon as the 2026 offseason.

YearSalaryAge2024-25$43,031,940252025-26$45,999,660262026-27$48,967,380 (Player Option)272027Unrestricted free agent28All salary figures via Spotrac.

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