Los Angeles, 3 August 2025 (dpa/MIA) – Basketball superstar Luka Dončić has signed a three-year extension worth $165 million to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to outlets including ESPN.

The 26-year-old Slovenian and the California team announced the extension but did not give any details about the contract. Dončić joined the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in February as part of a stunning trade that sent 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to Texas.

Without the extension, signed exactly six months after the trade, Dončić would have been set to become a free agent at the end of next season.

Dončić will have a player option for the 2028-29 season, ESPN reports, adding that the Slovenian star could opt out of the option and sign a projected five-year supermax contract worth a projected $417 million.

The contract marks a new era of Lakers basketball, with the 26-year-old becoming the new face of the franchise as the career of 40-year-old US superstar LeBron James is likely to come to an end in the foreseeable future.

"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," Dončić said in a statement. "I'm excited for what's ahead and to keep building something special with this team."

In 28 starts for the Lakers so far, Dončić averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists.

The California team, which has the second most titles in NBA history behind the Boston Celtics, exited the play-offs in the first round last season, losing 4-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Photo: epa