Lakers Taking Major Swing to Ensure Luka Doncic Signs Extension This Summer

The Los Angeles Lakers are making all the right moves to lock in Luka Doncic on a long-term deal this offseason.

L.A.'s prized midseason trade acquisition, who at age 26 is already a five-time All-NBA First Teamer, struggled with a lingering calf injury for much of his initial run on the Lakers. Just a year after bringing the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals, the 6-foot-6 pro fell way short of that benchmark in the 2025 playoffs. Instead of the Finals, the Lakers collapsed in a five-game first round upset to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers have made moves to address their two biggest weakness in the playoffs — quality frontcourt depth (L.A. signed center Deandre Ayton and power forward Jake LaRavia) and perimeter defense (the Lakers brought in former Defensive Player of the Year guard Marcus Smart) — this summer, although it's unclear if their work in the latter department will be enough to vault them into contender status just yet.

More news: Former Lakers Star Shaquille O'Neal on NBA All-Star: 'I F---ing Hate Him'

Doncic is eligible to ink a four-season, $229 million maximum salary extension with Los Angeles. If the two sides don't reach an agreement on a deal, he'd become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and would have plenty of suitors.

During a recent appearance on ESPN's "NBA Today," longtime Lakers insider Ramona Shelburne indicated that L.A. has been pulling out all the stops to lure Doncic long-term.

Ramona on the Lakers:

"Their summer's incomplete until we know if Luka extends. The Lakers have plans to visit him in Slovenia...they're going to Eurobasket...he has spent time with Jeanie Buss. This is not a player that's looking like I'm gonna leave as a free agent next year" pic.twitter.com/VcrIEVFUp8
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 22, 2025

"The Lakers have the inside track here if they sign Luka Doncic to that contract extension. Their summer's incomplete until we know if he extends with the Lakers when he's starting to be eligible on August 2. Now, I don't expect it'll happen on August 2, but I will be very surprised if he does not extend with them at least for the shorter-term deal that he could do because they have all been behaving and... talking like, 'We are a partnership now.'"

More news: Luka Doncic Speaks Out On Future With Lakers

In 28 games for Los Angeles last season, Doncic averaged 28.2 points on .438/.379/.791 shooting splits, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals a night.

"The Lakers have plans to go visit him in [his native] Slovenia this offseason. They're going to go to EuroBasket," Shelburne continued. "He has spent time with Jeanie Buss. They're in contact with the new ownership group that's coming in. This is not a player that's looking like I'm gonna leave as a free agent next year."

More news:

Surprising Center Named as Trade Option For Lakers

Lakers Officially Waive Big Man in Surprise Roster Move

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