Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic hints that he'll sign max contract extension this summer

Based on incentives, Doncic is looking at upwards of $200 million over five years. The total value will not be determined until the 2022-23 NBA salary cap is set. That’s no small thing with a huge TV contract on the horizon and the revenue increase the league is expected to see post-COVID.

It’s not a surprise to see young players on their rookie deals jump at the idea of receiving a max contract extension. For comparison’s sake, Doncic is earning $8.12 million annually on his current rookie deal.

The larger question here for Dallas is the future of the organization. These Mavericks have not won a playoff series since 2011. It became evident during their first-round playoff series loss to the Clippers that Kristaps Porzingis is not that No. 2 star to team up with Doncic. How owner Mark Cuban and Co. navigate this offseason will be telling moving forward.

For his part, Doncic is already among the top-five players in the entire NBA. Since the start of his sophomore campaign in 2019-20, the dude has put up some absolutely amazing numbers.

• 2019-20: 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 46% shooting
• 2020-21: 27.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 48% shooting

This past season saw Doncic increase his three-point percentage from 32% to 36%. It’s just a continuation of his game evolving at a high level. That’s been magnified even further in the playoffs with the youngster averaging 33.5 points to go with 8.8 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 13 career postseason games.

Now that Luka Doncic appears ready to commit to the Mavericks long-term, it’s time for them to do everything possible to build a championship core around him.