The Los Angeles Lakers have signed point guard Luka Doncic to a big contract extension worth $165 million a year for the next three years. Being eligible to sign Luka at the beginning of this month of Aug. 2025, the Lakers front office didn’t hesitate to lock in their newest franchise face in spite of paying a massive sum for LeBron James’ option for the upcoming season. Doncic is the present and the future for the Purple & Gold, who are hungry for their first real authentic championship since 2010.

Doncic will now stay out of the free agent market for the summer of 2026 and eliminating his playing option for the 2026-27 season. That player option will now be moved to the summer of 2028. As a 26-year old who came over to the Lakers in the “Trade of the Century” with the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 1, 2025, Doncic had himself a good spoonful of games for the Lakers in helping them get into the playoffs as a 3 seed with a 50-32 record. But the trade came at a cost as the Lakers could not fill the void left by Anthony Davis in struggling to have a good center on their roster. That ultimately cost them in their first-round series versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, who defeated them with more size, strength and clutch baskets than the Lakers could muster in five games. The front office did make a couple of good moves in acquiring free agents DeAndre Ayton and Marcus Smart to give improvements to the center and forward positions around Luka and LeBron. But with Doncic’s signing, the Lakers are set for the next few seasons and can hopefully compete in a Western Conference that is only getting tougher to play in.

Doncic said in a statement that he’s “really grateful to the Lakers organization, my teammates, and fans for welcoming me and my family with so much support and kindness since day one”. He added “This is an amazing organization, and I truly believe in what we’re building together. I’m going to keep working as hard as I can to bring another championship to Los Angeles and to make Laker Nation proud. This is just the beginning. I’m excited for what’s ahead to keep building something special with this team”.

Luka is definitely doing his part in trying to make himself healthier in addressing his overweight body that he had accumulated in Dallas and that is what made the Mavericks more emboldened to trade him. With a more basketball-conditioned body, Doncic can be as dangerous as he was in his earlier seasons and put up massive offensive performances for crowds of thousands in downtown Los Angeles. Doncic will have a good core of teammates around him for this upcoming season and can gracefully avoid the injury woes that have plagued him.

Leading the Lakers in points, rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers after making his team debut on Feb. 10, 2025, Doncic averaged 28.2 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game and 7.7 assists per game for the full 2024-25 season playing for the Mavericks and the Purple & Gold. Doncic is now in a “championship state“ physically in heeding a demand from JJ Redick, who will look to have better fortune in his second season of his coaching career with the Lakers. For these next few years, Doncic can add his name to the long list of players who have built their playing legacies wearing a Lakers jersey. Luka Doncic has the same clutch abilities as Kobe Bryant, the same passing repertoire as Magic Johnson and the same edge of competitive grace and intensity as Jerry West. Although he may lose his cool with the referees once in a while and get called for technical fouls for bickering over a call he does not agree with, Doncic is a grounded player who knows what to do in the tight situations during a basketball game.

Luka is still well in his prime and his later prime seasons can be great ones for him as a player and a celebrity athlete living in the City of Stars. Lakers fans adore him and feel lucky to have him as the next big star to play in the same arena as so many other great players in the 21st century. Luka Magic is alive and well in Laker Nation and may it last for many years to come.