If the Dallas Mavericks dealing superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers out of nowhere wasn’t bad enough, the financial implications put the nail in the coffin.
Doncic was eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million supermax contract extension with the Mavericks this offseason, which would have been the largest contract in NBA history. The current title of biggest contract goes to Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum with a five-year, $315 million deal.
Now that the 25-year-old ex-Mavericks star is with the Lakers, Tatum will hold his title even longer. The largest extension Doncic can ink this summer in LA is a five-year, $229 million contract, which The Athletic’s John Hollinger broke down.
“As for attracting future talent to the Lakers, that’s easier with Dončić because the Lakers will actually have him at a discount,” Hollinger wrote. “He is no longer eligible to sign a gargantuan supermax this summer and can only extend for 30 percent of the cap beginning in 2026-27. (He can sign this summer, but the first year of the new money comes in 2026-27.)”
Hollinger then went on to explain the most likely deal Doncic will sign with the Lakers, writing, “It seems likely that Dončić will sign a shorter extension this summer with a player option in 2028, which would allow him to re-sign after his 10th year of service, in the summer of 2028, for the full 35 percent of the cap.”
“If so, that effectively gives the Lakers roughly $8 million in extra cap wiggle room in the summers of 2026 and 2027 relative to what they would have paid Davis … right as James is likely gliding off into retirement,” Hollinger concluded.
Doncic reportedly isn’t returning the texts or calls from Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, and it’s safe to assume being the reason he will miss out on at least $116 million is partially to blame.
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