Luka Doncic has signed a three-year $165 million deal with the Lakers! #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/V3uLJvqoq0— Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) August 2, 2025

BREAKING: Luka Dončić has signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Lakers, @TheSteinLine has learned.The deal contains a player option for Year 3.Dončić worked out at the team facility this AM then inked the new deal on the first day he's eligible for it. pic.twitter.com/OpzBLt1Veq— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 2, 2025

BREAKING: Luka Doncic has signed a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension with the Lakers, with a player option in 2028, per @ShamsCharania.The deal makes him eligible to sign a projected five years and $417 million contract in 2028. pic.twitter.com/Cj8Xo9fXo3— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 2, 2025

The 2+1 always made the most sense. Now he gets to free agency after Year 10 to try to recoup some of what he lost by missing out on the supermax. https://t.co/dZc78taUDb— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) August 2, 2025

FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:

San Antonio Spurs receive:
-Austin Reaves
-Gabe Vincent
-Jarred Vanderbilt
-Maxi Kleber
-Second-round pick

Los Angeles Lakers receive:
-Devin Vassell
-Stephon Castle
-Jeremy Sochan
-First-round pick

Super conditioned and motivated LeBron and Luka!
They’re still the key to winning another championship.
Love to see L+L win #18 and #19 next 2 years.

From the above article:

Many have seen Doncic’s body transformation as a message to the Mavericks, instead of just a commitment to improve for the Lakers.

And amid all of this, the fact that one of the best players in the NBA is about to get better, has become a little lost in the shuffle.

Zach Lowe told his podcast: “I think I was guilty of it, and a lot of us were missing the most important part of the story in between the sort of chortling about Luka finally getting in great, great shape.”

“If this lasts, and we’ve seen periods of Luka getting in shape and then getting back into less good shape, I don’t think we’ve ever seen him look like this.

“If this lasts, the big story is the Lakers have a top three NBA player in the kind of condition he’s never been in in his career. Like, that’s the story.”

Luka Doncic could hit new heights
Luka Doncic has a 73-point game on his resume, for the Mavericks against the Hawks in early 2024, the fourth highest in NBA history.

Last season he averaged 28.2 points per game, with his highest season average being the 33.9 ppg in 2023-24.

It would take some going from Luka Doncic to top this, but with the added focus and determination he is entering the season with, can you really bet against him?

The LA Lakers will get a glimpse of the new-look Luka Doncic in action when he represents Slovenia at EuroBasket in late August and early September.

THE REAL STORY ABOUT LUKE PER ZACH LOWE:“If this lasts, the big story is the Lakers have a top three NBA player in the kind of condition he’s never been in in his career. Like, that’s the story.” https://t.co/lyrYZC1W6j pic.twitter.com/l1kgjKrz0R— LakerTom (@LakerTom) August 1, 2025

Some of us gave up on multiple star chasing awhile ago. OKC has 2, SGA and Williams, with a legit 3rd in the wings waiting in Holmgren.

It’s not about the player, it’s about the record books. Williams understands that.

77 + 23 = 100!

Yes, absolutely, whether anyone else wants it or not the Lakers definitely do. They take their cues (sic: marching orders) straight from Rich Paul (sic: LeBron).

This Mikal Bridges extension is what you should expect Austin Reaves’s extension to be.37.5 – 42 million annually.— 🎗NBA•Fan🎗 (@Klutch_23) July 31, 2025

I’m not sure Reaves is worth that on the open market but it also wouldn’t surprise me to see the Lakers overpay early in the process to lock him up. Rob, despite all the “Master Class” BS proclaimed around here, generally seems out of his depth. He uses picks in deals for players we din’t krep. A lot. He bids against himself. A lot. Most egregious, he continues to build rosters without a cohesive identity. Don’t believe me? Go ahead and look at past rosters and tell me one common thread beyond “Hey we have 2 top tier superstars! Let the talent do their thing!”

Oh sure, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Mark make some moves early on if the ship isn’t sailing right.

From above article:

I look at the Lakers cap space plans and how Luka Doncic’s upcoming extension and a lucrative new contract for Austin Reaves factor in. I also look at De’Aaron Fox who can sign the same extension.
We are coming up on six months since the Luka Doncic trade, which doesn’t seem right. It feels like it was done years ago with the amount of discourse it’s generated and continues to receive.

It also means that Doncic’s six-month trade restriction is about to expire. This limits players to receiving a four-year contract in an extension (including the current season) with a 120 percent raise off the final year of the current contract, and no more than a five percent raise in subsequent seasons. This currently limits him to a maximum extension projected at three years, $156.7 million.

That restriction expires on August 2, which would allow him to add a fifth year and up 8 percent raises instead of 5 percent in an extension. This would increase his maximum extension amount up to four years, projected at $222.4 million. It would require him to decline his $49 million player option and replace it with a $49.6 million starting salary.

2026-27: $49,641,600 (30 percent of the salary cap)

2027-28: $53,612,928

2028-29: $57,584,256

2029-30: $61,555,584

Total: $222,394,368

This projection is based on the 2026-27 salary cap rising by 7 percent. If the cap rises by the 10 percent maximum, then the value of the extension increases to $228.6 million. Doncic will be entitled to no less than a 5 percent on the first year of a maximum extension in 2026-27, resulting in a minimum of $218.2 million. If he and his camp anticipate a salary cap rise below 5 percent, then he would make a little more money by opting into $49 million player option and extending off that amount.

Doncic qualified for the supermax with the Mavericks following the 2023-24 season. It would’ve allowed him to extend with them for up to five years, projected at $336.9 million. The lost earnings led to speculation that if he extended with the Lakers, it would be on a three-year contract with a player option. This would allow him to opt out after his 10th season so he can re-sign with the Lakers on a maximum contract worth 35 percent of the salary cap.

He could’ve signed such an extension already within the limitations of his trade restriction, though the smaller raises would’ve made the extension about $5 million less in total value. The fact that he’s waited until now to extend suggests he might sign the four-year extension that would take him past his 10th season. And there’s reporting indicating he may choose that route.

According to Dallas Hoops Journal and Sportsklub, a Slovenian sports publication, Doncic and the Lakers are expected to agree on a four-year maximum extension. The additional year on a below-market contract would be a gesture suggesting a long-term commitment to the Lakers. For them, it justifies giving up what they did to acquire him.

If Luka signs a 4 years extension that’s an absolute steal for the Lakers and provides even more flexibility long term. pic.twitter.com/mEcJfx2slI— Laker Central (@LakerCentral365) July 31, 2025

“Luka loves playing with LeBron and has learned so much from him,” Seager told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “He has nothing but the utmost respect for LeBron and considers it an honor to be his teammate.”Luka Doncic wants to continue playing with LeBron James.(@DALHoopsJournal)— 🎗NBA•Fan🎗 (@Klutch_23) July 31, 2025

REPORT: Luka Doncic doesn’t want to push LeBron out of Los Angeles, and wants him to retire in LA.(via @DALHoopsJournal h/t @Fullcourtpass) pic.twitter.com/VD8itUASui— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 31, 2025

This all tracks, it’s why they had him on Mind the Game.

LeBron wants to retire a Laker (maybe a final Cavs gesture when the actual time comes…TBD).

The Lakers want him to retire a Laker.

This has always been both the plan and most likely outcome.

"You were [with the Rockets] for 13 years and didn't win a title… and didn't get to the Finals… it is something critics would argue you've been allergic to."Stephen A. Smith on Daryl Morey's comments about the Lakers' 2020 title in the bubble 🗣️pic.twitter.com/JKZNG7VzvW— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 31, 2025

You mean the team that was already healthy, already the No. 1 seed in the West and had just beaten the two other top teams in the league right before the shut down? That team?Also, what’s with this idea that only the Lakers got those four months? Everybody did. https://t.co/twAXPAiA1E— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) July 30, 2025

lol. Whatever. Talk to the athletes and you get a different story.

I will always say this: it’s the most strenuous mental title ever won. No support system, total isolation, weird video board fans, piped in crowd noise and stuff. 100% weird and unsettling.

The no travel is huge…but was an advantage shared by all. The Lakers were just the team that made the most of a unique situation. No asterisk needed, or at least as much as the 99-00 title got.