How Luka Doncic’s contract situation could ‘LOOM LIKE A BLACK CLOUD’ over the Lakers 😧 | NBA Today

How Luka Doncic’s contract situation could ‘LOOM LIKE A BLACK CLOUD’ over the Lakers 😧 | NBA Today

This is important. Can you just underscore this for us? You said don’t freak out, which, you know, is is easier said than done when it comes to all of us NBA fans. Don’t freak out if August 2nd comes and goes and you don’t see something. Can you just explain? Yeah, so he’s playing for the Slovenian national team at the European Championships, frequently called Euro Basket, which is the most one of the most valuable uh tournament for the Europeans outside the Olympics. And he won the Euro Basket for Slovenia earlier in his career, probably the greatest moment of his career. They play six exhibition games leading up to the start on August 27th and that it could they could go as late as September 14th, which means he may not be back into the US if the Slovenians get all the way to the end until late September. And you know, McMahon will tell you that in the past when he’s been playing for the national team, he has not done NBA business, including NBA contracts. So, he could certainly pledge his intention to sign with the Lakers. But do not freak out if you do not hear from Luca contractually until September. Yeah. And look, the reason it’s an August 2nd extension date is because he waited until after the Olympics to sign his previous contract for the Mavericks, even though that deal was a mere formality. He was asked at his exit interviews that year about, hey, what do you think of maybe signing that supermax? And he laughed and said, you know what I’m going to do? This is not a mere formality. This is the first time that Luca Donuch has really had a decision to make in terms of the contract. There is no supermax eligibility. that blew up when the Mavericks shanked him in the back and and shipped him to LA. That’s just a simple fact of the matter. Um and and look, way to put it, it’s I mean, it’s it’s the honest way to put it. It’s certainly the way that he felt about it. This will be an indication of what kind of faith that Luca Dantic has in that Lakers front office. And again, it’s not about when it’s it’s signed. It if he wants to wait until after uh Euro basket, that’s fine. But if it’s not signed heading into the season, that will loom like a black cloud, right, over the Lakers this season. Anytime there would be a threeame losing streak, it already would be the lead of our show or Sports Center, but it would come under even more scrutiny if it’s what is this going to mean for Luca’s future, Mark? Yeah. No, I was around when KD was going through that every day. Well, the Golden State thing. Uh, but with Luca, this is kind of like his a cool European tour right now. He’s in great shape. changed his diet. He’s obviously in Slovenia getting ready for the national team, but he was just in Greece. That looks like a good time. Hanging out with Jordan like I mean I’m sure the turnup was outstanding in Athens, Greece. And then you know he turn out or the turn up the turn up both. Yeah. Yeah. Both. Uh Trey Young wasn’t there. He’s in summer league trying to get his contract situation together. Another thing to look out for. Um, but I think for Luca who plays August 28th against um, Poland in Poland, Mhm. this is a summer where I think it’s going to set the tone for the rest of his career. Can you say a little bit more about that, Tim, in terms of this is the first real contract decision that Lucas had to make in his career so far? Right. So, look, coming off of his rookie deal, like guys sign rookie extensions. would you do you want to take a supermax or do you want to take a qualifying offer or you know go into restricted free agency that like that’s not a difficult decision. Now there was a time in Dallas specifically especially coming off that season when they had a tank to keep the top 10 protected pick when you felt like uh-oh could this reach a danger zone but it didn’t. They they made some several moves. The chemistry click with Kyrie. They went to the finals and Luca couldn’t wait to sign the Supermax contract this summer. Obviously, circumstances changed drastically, but hey, the Lakers are, you know, they’re trying to make it his team, but he did not grow up with this franchise. Again, they don’t have the massive financial advantages of saying, “Hey, we can pay you hundreds of million, you know, nine figures more than anybody else.” So, this will be the first time in Luca’s career where it wasn’t really an obvious conclusion. Is he a saint in all this? I know you said the Mavericks stabbed him in the back, but does he have to be accountable for anything that led to the trade? I think he has to be accountable for 3410 and Nak team in the finals the month uh months before. That’s not what I asked. Lucas, is he a saint? No, of course not. Yeah. No, he Lucas conditioning has been a problem throughout the course of his career. He’s clearly doing something about that this summer. The revenge bod tour is on. There’s no question about that. Look, Luca’s not a saint. But again, the man took him to the finals months before, but forget that. That business is done. Let’s focus on the business that Luca has in front of him this summer. I don’t think it’s time to litigate saintthood. But it is time to to litigate a contract here for Luca Donuch. And the Lakers clearly want him to be their next face of a franchise. And by the way, nobody is saying that he is not going to sign this contract. We’re just talking about the date in which it could be signed. He does have a decision to make, Brian, but can you just map out what it looks like? Let’s say he doesn’t sign a contract going into the season. Can you just map that out for us? Well, there’s three max contracts that NBA players, superstars can sign. One that’s worth 25% of the the cap, 30%, and 35. Depends on years of service. The first one I call the fund max because almost everybody who’s offered it signs it. It’s no big deal. like Bontemps discussed, I mean, like McMahon discussed a minute ago. Uh, then there’s the stress max. This happens when it’s a player second max contract. This is when players sometimes leave or are not really worth it. This is a stress max right now for Luca. The Lakers are a little bit stressed out about it. Then there’s the legacy max. When you get the 35%, you’re home free. Everything’s going to be great. This is a stress max situation. So, if he signs it, relief for the Lakers. They can they can spend a little bit of time looking at their roster over the next two or three years, making decisions that are not based on what’s going to be best for us tomorrow. What are we going to present to Luca in 2026? We can think about what the team looks like in 27,28, etc. If he doesn’t sign it, he can be a free agent next summer when there’s going to be 10 plus teams with cap space. If he does not sign it, you will see teams begin to open up maneuvers to open to to try to chase Luca. And every day that will go by when there’s any sort of wobble with the Lakers, you mentioned a losing streak or if they’re in seventh place on December 5th or something like that, everything will be tied to the Luca contract, especially with LeBron on the last year of his contract as well. So, the Lakers don’t want that in their lives. They want the no stress max. That’s what they’re going to try to present to him on August 2nd. Yeah, pick your fighter. That is what you pick your own adventure here. [Music]

The NBA Today crew discusses Luka Doncic’s contract situation with the Los Angeles Lakers as he will become eligible for an extension.

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