Luka Doncic remains one of the most talked-about superstars in the NBA. First, he dominated headlines with his shocking trade to the Los Angeles Lakers in February. Then, photos of his dramatic physical transformation went viral. Now, his future in Los Angeles has become one of the hottest topics of conversation across the league.
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Will Doncic sign an extension with the Lakers? Well, he has a four-year, $229 million deal on the line with one of the most storied franchises in the history of sports. It would seem like a dumb move to turn that down. That is, unless he doesn’t want to be in La La Land anymore.
NBA analyst Ramona Shelburne shared her thoughts on the 26-year-old’s big decision during today’s ESPN broadcast. One key point she raised was that Doncic never asked to leave Dallas and move to LA. So, if he does commit to the Lakers’ future, it will be a major statement.
“I think if he signs any years, that signifies a lot. Because he didn’t ask to be traded here, as we know,” she stated. The famed sportswriter then eased any fears Lakers fans might have by pointing out that Doncic has already shown he enjoys being on the West Coast and has a strong relationship with the front office to back it up.
“He has embraced Los Angeles. He’s done everything to signal that he’s happy here. I know he’s had good meetings and conversations with everybody in the front office. They’ve been in touch with the new owners who are going to come in here,” Shelburne stated.
“[The Dodgers] didn’t bat an eyelash giving Shohei Ohtani 700 million dollars … [the Lakers] got it.”@ramonashelburne puts things in perspective as Luka Dončić has a 4 year/$229M extension on the line pic.twitter.com/LNHPnFG630
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 1, 2025
Shelburne isn’t wrong. The first thing Luka did at his introductory Lakers press conference was share a memory of Kobe Bryant and talk about how much he misses the Mamba. That kind of awareness and admiration shows just how much the Don cares about wearing the Purple and Gold.
Shelburne later noted that if the Lakers manage to get Doncic to sign the extension, it will be the story of the summer. But if he doesn’t, it’ll be open season, with teams lining up to throw massive offers his way in free agency.
“If he signs here and commits to the Lakers, that is, they win the summer. There’s teams out there right now, waiting to see if Luka extends with the Lakers because if he doesn’t, he’s the biggest free agent to hit the market in years,” she continued.
Luka is likely staying. He’s already gone out of his way to help the Lakers improve, including recruiting former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart to the squad. LA has also added DeAndre Ayton to strengthen its frontcourt. Now, all that’s left is for Luka to put pen to paper.
