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LeBron James Won't Convince Luka Doncic to Stay With Lakers

Alex Kirschenbaum|
Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA superstar guard Luka Doncic has a big decision to make this summer.

Doncic was presumably expecting to still be playing, but instead the Lakers were beaten in a five-game "gentleman's sweep" in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It's the second straight season the Lakers have been booted in the first round. Last year, Doncic's Dallas Mavericks advanced all the way to the NBA Finals.

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes, Los Angeles will be able to tender a four-season, $229 million maximum contract extension to Doncic.

Alternately, Doncic could ink a three-season, $165 million extension with a player option for the 2028-29 season. Were the 6-foot-6 star to do this, he could ink a maximum contract in 2028 that would pay him 35 percent of the league's salary cap for five seasons.

More Los Angeles Lakers News: Paul Pierce Says Lakers Need to Move on From LeBron James

Doncic is currently only guaranteed to be under contract through next season. He has a $49 million player option for 2026-27.

Although Doncic asserted ahead of the playoffs that he wanted to stay with the Lakers for a good long while, sources tell McMenamin that the 2024 Western Conference Finals MVP plans to sit with the decision for a bit.

Per McMenamin, his 40-year-old All-Star teammate LeBron James has insisted that he won't try to convince Doncic to sign a long-term deal.

"No, that ain't my job," James informed McMenamin. "I think... I don't think, I know, Luka knows how I feel about him. And ultimately, that trade happened for the future. That's not for me. Luka has to decide what he has to do with his future. He's [26] years old, I'm 40, so he can't be basing his career off me. That's just real."

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James, himself, is only under contract through next season — and even then, he has a player option for 2025-26.

"But I hope, obviously, [he stays long term]," James said. "Laker fans f---ing love him here. L.A. has accepted him. We love him as a teammate, as a brother. But ultimately, he's got to make a decision for him. S---, I ain't going to be around much longer."

More Los Angeles Lakers News:

JJ Redick Sends Strong Message to Lakers After Minnesota Playoff Series Loss

Rob Pelinka Talks Lakers' Offseason Priority Other Than Big Man

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves Waste No Time Taking Shots At Lakers

Western Conference Executive Compares Lakers' Austin Reaves to Undrafted Hall of Famer

Lakers Linked to $100 Million Blazers Star as Summer Trade Target

For the latest Los Angeles Lakers news and notes, stay glued to Los Angeles Lakers On SI.

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Alex Kirschenbaum
ALEX KIRSCHENBAUM

Currently also a scribe for Newsweek, Hoops Rumors, The Sporting News and "Gremlins" director Joe Dante's film site Trailers From Hell, Alex is an alum of Men's Journal, Grizzlies fan site Grizzly Bear Blues, and Bulls fan sites Blog-A-Bull and Pippen Ain't Easy, among others.

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