Luka Dončić might be pulling off the ultimate NBA chess move, and the Lakers are just hoping they don’t get checkmated in the process. The Slovenian superstar is eligible for a mind-blowing four-year, $223 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on August 2. That’s enough money to buy a small island or two, but Luka isn’t just chasing checks; he’s chasing ultimate flexibility and, eventually, an even bigger payday.
According to Bleacher Report, the source states, “It seems vastly more likely he will take a shorter deal that would make him eligible for 35 percent of the cap once he achieves 10-year veteran status in the summer of 2028.” Translation? Luka Dončić is playing the long game, and it could pay off in a way that makes this summer’s $223 million look like pocket change.
So, what’s the actual play here? Because Dončić was traded, he doesn’t qualify for the full supermax right now. But here’s where it gets spicy. Hollinger explained that if Luka voids his player option in 2026 and signs a three-year, $161 million extension with a player option for the 2028-29 season, he would then qualify as a 10-year veteran by 2028. That’s when he could ink a monstrous five-year deal worth up to $406 million. Yes, you read that right. Four hundred and six million dollars.
Luka Dončić’s Time In LA Is Just Getting Started
While the Lakers would obviously prefer to lock Luka down for as long as possible starting this summer, they also know they can’t afford to play hardball. At the end of the day, they’ll take any contract that guarantees Dončić stays off the free agent market next summer. The last thing the Lakers want is to watch Luka start flirting with other big-market teams and set social media on fire with cryptic Instagram likes. The Lakers have learned their lesson from the LeBron era: you keep the superstar happy at all costs. And in Luka’s case, keeping him happy might mean letting him cook up his own timeline and strategy.
It’s worth noting that Luka has a $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season. But with this new maneuver, that option basically turns into a stepping stone for the real bag in 2028. Think of it as Luka’s version of a side quest in a video game: secure massive short-term money, level up to 10-year vet status, then go for the final boss, the historic supermax.
For fans, this means Luka is pretty much guaranteed to stay in Los Angeles through at least the 2027-28 season. So, Lakers fans can rest easy (kind of). Even if he doesn’t commit to the full four-year extension now, he won’t be bouncing anytime soon.
Why This Move Makes Sense For Luka Dončić and LA
The move is both savvy and ruthless in the best way possible. It shows that Luka and his team are not just thinking about today’s money but about generational wealth and power plays that cement his legacy on and off the court. So, while $223 million this summer sounds great, Luka’s eyes are clearly set on something bigger. As Hollinger put it, the shorter deal “seems vastly more likely,” and if you’ve been following Luka’s career, you know this dude has always been ten steps ahead.
In the end, it’s a win-win (mostly). The Lakers get to keep their generational talent in the building, and Luka gets to stay in the bright lights of L.A. while maximizing his future earnings. Stay tuned because if there’s one thing we know about NBA superstars today, it’s that they love a good plot twist, and Luka might have just written the next big one.
