Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) walks on to the court before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Lakers' Luka Doncic Might Hold Off on Signing Extension, Says NBA Insider

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers were able to trade for Luka Doncic a couple of weeks before the trade deadline. Adding him clearly meant that they were going to turn towards the future with him.

It has been reported that the future they would like to start around Doncic might be coming sooner rather than later. They have already had meetings with Doncic to figure out the kinds of players they could add to fit his playing style.

While the Lakers seem to be ready to make a commitment to him, he might not be ready to make a full commitment to them quite yet.

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Los Angeles would love if Doncic signed a contract extension. It looks like he might wait a little while to sign a deal. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, he might not sign one until after the summer.

Brian Windhorst on Luka’s upcoming contract extension:

"I would not expect it to happen that early. He's playing for the Slovenian national team. Do not freak out if you do not hear from Luka contractually until September"

h/t @ohnohedidnt24 pic.twitter.com/SXOxGLzE8j
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) July 15, 2025

"I would not expect it to happen that early. He's playing for the Slovenian national team. Do not freak out if you do not hear from Luka contractually until September."

The Lakers will be devastated if Doncic decides not to sign a long-term deal with Los Angeles. They are putting a lot of resources into him, so they want to make sure he sticks around for the long term.

Los Angeles is ready to move on from the LeBron James era sooner rather than later, so that means they need to be on the same page with Doncic on how they are going to be a contending team with him on the roster.

Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA from an offensive perspective, and they are working on him to be better defensively. He is still the right guy to build around.

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Windhorst does expect Doncic to sign an extension with the Lakers, as does everyone else around the NBA. It would be very surprising if Doncic decided to pursue a deal somewhere else.

Given the fact that the Lakers have a track record of treating their star players great, Doncic is likely to be in Los Angeles for the long haul. It would only make sense for him to.

After being traded to the Lakers, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. He shot 43.8 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three.

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For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Lakers and was syndicated with permission.

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