Person Close to Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Dončić Says His Mentality Is ‘Win Now’

A person close to Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić said his mentality is “win now,” according to NBA reporter Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Dončić is 26 years old. He’s expected to sign an extension with the Lakers this weekend.

“I spoke to someone close to Luka over the weekend and they told me that Luka’s mentality is win now,” McMenamin said. “So this isn’t signing away to the Lakers and saying ok, you guys go, you have my commitment and I’ll have some patience here. It’s I wanna this year, I wanna win the subsequent year. So long as my name is signed to a piece of paper saying I’m a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, I expect to be in a position to be able to raise banners at Crypto.com Arena.”

Dončić hasn’t won a championship yet. He guided the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024, but the Boston Celtics won that series in five games.

A future Hall of Famer, Dončić enters next season with career averages of 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists with the Mavericks and Lakers. He’s third in NBA history in points per game, trailing only basketball icons Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Dončić can sign a four-year, $229 million extension with the Lakers on August 2. However, the best financial path for the international basketball superstar would be to sign a short-term deal, likely a three-year, $160 million extension, with a player option for the 2028-29 season.

By signing for two more years, Dončić could potentially sign a deal in 2028 for 35% of the salary cap worth $369 million over five years.

Dončić averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists for the Lakers last season after the Mavericks traded him in February. The five-time All-Star put up 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in the 2025 playoffs, where Los Angeles lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round in five games.

One of the best players in the NBA, Dončić transformed his body this offseason by going on a gluten-free, low-sugar diet, according to Men’s Health. The talented point-forward has also gone on an intermittent fasting plan designed to limit inflammation and help his body recover better.