Luka Doncic has had a turbulent year. The Slovenian superstar has been put through the ringer in more ways than one in a season that saw him being traded by the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. It would now appear that the Lakers are attempting to entice Luka into a long-term contract that is reportedly worth $165 million. The Lakers have always found a way to bring the best players in the NBA to the shores of Los Angeles. Could Doncic become the face of the franchise? With another Laker legend facing the dreaded “R” word soon, Doncic could be the future of the Lakers, if he chooses.
This season has been an emotional rollercoaster for Luka Doncic
The location was Dallas, Texas. The date was April 9, 2025. A tearful Luka Doncic is struggling to hold back his tears and emotion as he watches a tribute video the Mavericks played before the Lakers took on the Mavs. Doncic would go on to have his best performance in a Laker shirt that day. He fouled out at the end of the game and received a standing ovation from the Dallas crowd.
Doncic came into the league off the back of a truly impressive career in Europe playing for Real Madrid. Doncic states that he began his professional career at the age of 13, and from the start displayed the talent and composure that would inevitably propel him to the heights of the NBA.
Doncic was drafted as the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. In a draft-day trade, he was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He played for the Mavericks from 2018 to 2024 until Nico Harrison made the controversial decision to trade him to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. The decision to trade Luka by the Mavericks will go down in NBA history as nobody, not even Luka, expected it.
Luka Doncic could become the face of the franchise for the LA Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have a reputation around the world for boasting some of the best basketball players in history as part of the organization. From Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Lebron James, the Lakers have always found a way to entice the best players in the world to come to California. Lebron James has been the face of the franchise for the past few years, but even his longevity can not last forever.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Lakers are in talks with Doncic to extend his stay in Los Angeles. Marks reports that LA is willing to offer Donic an incredible sum of $165 million over a three-year deal with a player option for 2028-29. Whether or not Luka decides to take that contract is still unclear. However, since making the move to LA, he has had nothing but positives to say about the organization.
In the modern-day NBA, the best players rarely stay in one place for very long. Vince Carter is a prime example of just how often the brightest stars in the NBA move around the league’s teams. However, it would appear that Luka is going to remain a Laker for now. He recently made an appearance on Lebron’s podcast, Mind the Game, alongside Steve Nash. One questions whether he would have done that if he had planned to leave LA.
Can Luka Doncic and Lebron James lead the Lakers to glory next season?
The reports are that most teams in the NBA have big plans for the offseason. The Finals this year between the Thunder and the Pacers are evidence that the small-market teams are contending with the big-money teams that dominated the NBA, up until now. Luka has a level of composure that is rare in the NBA and will surely keep his cards close to his chest. Regardless of where he ends up playing in the next few years, Luka Doncic is a talent that will reshape the NBA and go down as one of the best to ever come out of Europe.
