Luka Dončić is staying in Los Angeles. The five-time All-NBA guard has agreed to a three-year, $165m maximum contract extension with the Lakers, ESPN reported Saturday. The deal includes a player option for the 2028–29 season and replaces his prior contract, which featured a player option for 2026–27.
Dončić, 26, now avoids free agency next summer and positions himself for an even larger deal in 2028, when he would be eligible for a projected five-year, $417m contract worth 35% of the salary cap.
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“This is just the beginning,” Dončić said in a team statement. “I’m excited for what’s ahead and to keep building something special with this team.”
The Lakers acquired Dončić in a February blockbuster that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas, one of the most seismic trades in recent NBA history. Since then, team officials led by governor Jeanie Buss and head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka have forged a close relationship with Dončić’s camp, including agent Bill Duffy and longtime business manager Lara Beth Seager.
“Luka is one of the game’s most transcendent players,” Pelinka said. “He’s a fierce competitor and a leader who’s committed to winning. We believe he can bring championship basketball back to Los Angeles.”
Despite playing a career-low 50 games last season, Dončić led the Lakers in points, rebounds, assists, steals and made threes after debuting on 10 February. He also became just the fifth player in franchise history to average at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in a playoff series, though the Lakers fell to the Timberwolves in the first round.
Off the court, Dončić has already shaped the Lakers’ offseason. He helped recruit Marcus Smart and shares a long-standing friendship with Deandre Ayton, both of whom signed with LA this summer.
Dončić also addressed long-standing concerns about his conditioning in a recent Men’s Health feature. Head coach JJ Redick emphasized that title contention will require the entire roster to get into “championship shape”.
For the Lakers, locking in Dončić is the clearest sign yet that a new era has arrived.
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