Luka Doncic Talks Mavericks Contract Extension, Kristaps Porzingis, Tokyo Olympics

Luka Doncic plans to sign a five-year supermax contract when the deal is presented to him this August. 

“I think you know the answer," Doncic told reporters when asked if he'd sign the contract.

Doncic will qualify for designated player status, meaning the five-year deal could reach upward of $200 million. The final dollar amount will be determined by the NBA cap for the 2022-23 season.

It's expected to be a busy summer for Doncic, who said he does not plan to take any time off and will instead join the Slovenian national team for its attempt to qualify for the 2021 Summer Olympics. Doncic helped lead Slovenia to a Eurobasket gold medal in 2017 and will be playing in his first Olympics if the team qualifies.

The Mavericks star may also have to spend his offseason repairing a relationship with Kristaps Porzingis. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Porzingis feels like "an afterthought" to Doncic, and team governor Mark Cuban has admitted the Mavericks' two most recognizable players are not friends off the court.

"He's a great player. I think we've got to use him more, and that's it," Doncic told reporters when asked about Porzingis.

The Porzingis aspect may be the most important. Doncic's linked to the 7-footer for the foreseeable future, with Porzingis under contract through the 2023-24 season. While Dallas could explore moving Porzingis, his contract will make that difficult and the team would be doing so at a massive discount.

Porzingis was at the center of criticism as the Mavericks blew a 2-0 lead in their first-round series against the Clippers. He averaged just 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds for the series, disappearing for extended stretches. The Mavericks were forced to move Boban Marjanovic into the starting lineup in large part due to Porzingis' inability to provide a presence inside on either end of the floor. 

With Doncic's contract kicking in before the 2022-23 season and Porzingis still under contract, they're going to need to find a way to make this partnership work. Otherwise, the Mavs are likely going to waste a lot more Herculean efforts from Doncic.