Lakers star's new contract can save him from his Dallas disappointment

Luka Doncic's new extension with the Los Angeles Lakers guarantees him another $165M. It also sets him up to avoid the blindside he suffered in Dallas.

The new contract starts with the 2026-27 season, and allows Doncic to opt out of the final year in the summer of 2028, when he'll have 10 years of NBA experience. Not only can Doncic opt out and sign a supermax contract worth over $400 million, but the 10 years also make him eligible for a no-trade clause, one so rare that only Damian Lillard and his teammate LeBron James have.

That could be especially appealing to Doncic, who was as shocked as the rest of the NBA world when Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in February. Doncic thought he would spend his entire career with the Mavericks, like Hall of Fame forward Dirk Nowitzki.

But the Mavericks weren't willing to commit to Doncic for his next contract, much less the rest of his career. The Lakers seem very willing to do so, even promoting general manager Rob Pelinka to president of basketball operations and extending his contract in April. Pelinka and Doncic appear to have a good relationship, bonding over basketball and their shared love of the Backstreet Boys.