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Rumor: Luka Dončić’s Mentality With Lakers Is ‘Win Now’

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 4:32 PM ET

NBA superstar Luka Dončić ‘s mentality with the Los Angeles Lakers is “win now,” according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Dončić, who recruited Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to the Lakers, is expected to sign an extension with the purple and gold this weekend.

“I spoke to someone close to Luka over the weekend and they told me that Luka’s mentality is win now” – @mcten pic.twitter.com/zSZ6kNrhTZ

— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) July 29, 2025

Luka Dončić can sign a four-year, $229 million extension on August 2, but the best financial path for the global basketball star 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.

The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in five games. Ayton, Smart and Jake LaRavia joined Los Angeles this offseason in free agency after Dorian Finney-Smith left for the Houston Rockets.

Dončić averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists for the Lakers last season after the Dallas 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 Timberwolves series, but his defense was subpar.

One of the top 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 future Hall of Famer has also gone on an intermittent fasting plan designed to limit inflammation and help his body recover better.

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 Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.