Luka Doncic Eligible for $229M Lakers Contract Extension During 2025 NBA Free Agency
After being eliminated from the playoffs in Wednesday's Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers are staring at a costly offseason.
ESPN's Bobby Marks explained that in addition to LeBron James' $52.6 million player option, the Lakers could be on the hook for Luka Doncic's big-money contract extension.
"Doncic is not a free agent but is eligible to sign up to a four-year, $229 million extension on Aug. 2," Marks wrote. "In the unlikely scenario a contract is not reached, Doncic will become a free agent in the summer of 2026."
Marks also noted that Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves is eligible for a contract extension this summer and can become a free agent next offseason if one isn't reached.
The Lakers acquired Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in hopes of giving James a better chance to earn a fifth career NBA championship. Despite achieving the No. 3 seed in the West, the top-heavy roster was unable to keep up with the depth of the No. 6 Timberwolves before being upset in the first round of the playoffs.
Doncic, who dealt with an illness during the postseason, led the Lakers with an average of 30.2 points across the five-game series. However, his average of 5.8 assists was a career-low in the playoffs.
Despite the disappointing finish, it would be a massive surprise if Los Angeles didn't make a long-term commitment to Doncic. The 26-year-old is expected to assume the mantle as the face of the franchise when James retires, so the Lakers likely will be building their future around him.
