Luka Doncic, Mavericks Agree to 5-Year, $207M Supermax Contract Extension
Luka Doncic will now be paid like one of the biggest stars in the NBA after agreeing to a five-year extension with the Dallas Mavericks worth $207 million, agent Bill Duffy told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Monday.
Doncic said in a statement, per Wojnarowski:
"Today is a dream come true. The game of basketball has given me so much and has taken me to so many amazing places. I am humbled and excited to remain in Dallas as part of the Mavericks and appreciate the support of my fans.
"Along with this new contract, I am also happy to announce that I am increasing my efforts and focusing on expanding The Luka Doncic Foundation. My foundation is an international non-profit that will give back to places that mean so much to me like my home country of Slovenia, as well as the communities in North Texas.
"I've happy to share in partnership with 2K Foundations we are unveiling two basketball courts here in Slovenia soon. We are refurbishing my childhood courts where I learned and practiced the game. The opportunity for kids to play on the same courts and pursue the same dreams I had is something I'm excited about."
According to Wojnarowski, Doncic is the "first player eligible for the designated rookie max extension upon signing because he's already twice been voted first-team All-NBA."
Doncic will officially sign the contract on Tuesday.
Doncic has only been in the NBA for three years but has already proved he is among the top players in the league. After winning Rookie of the Year in 2018-19, he elevated his game with All-Star selections over the next two years while earning MVP votes each season.
The 22-year-old finished last season averaging 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game, which was actually a drop from his numbers the previous year (28.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 8.8 APG). His production in 2020-21 still put him fourth in the NBA in value over replacement player, helping the Mavericks finish fifth in a competitive Western Conference.
For the second year in a row, Doncic elevated his level of play in the playoffs with an average of 35.7 points per game in seven appearances.
It's still a small sample size, but the guard's 33.5 postseason points per game would be the most in NBA history, just ahead of Michael Jordan's 33.45 points per game.
However, Doncic's heroics have not been enough to help the Mavericks avoid a first-round defeat in each of the last two years, both at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers. The team will likely need to provide the emerging star with some more help to ensure a deeper run in the playoffs.
Dallas still checked its biggest box by keeping the Slovenian under team control for the next few years.
Despite some speculation about Doncic looking for greener pastures, he shut down any rumors when asked whether he would sign a supermax extension.
"I think you know the answer," he told reporters in June.
After earning $21.8 million over his first three years combined, per Spotrac, the 2018 No. 3 overall draft pick will get a significant raise as he takes the next step of his career with the Mavericks.
