Luka Dončić is a perennial MVP candidate and a five-time first-team All-NBA selection who has already led a team to the NBA Finals. Now, after a stunning blockbuster trade sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers, the 25-year-old will aim to return there while learning from all-time great LeBron James.
This trade will also impact Dončić’s financial future. Let’s examine Dončić’s salary, contract, net worth, and career earnings.
Luka Dončić’s Contract and Salary
Dončić is on a five-year, $215.2 million contract that he initially signed with the Dallas Mavericks. The deal, which pays him an average annual salary a little north of $43 million per year, is guaranteed through the 2025-26 season with a team option for 2026-27.
Prior to the trade, Dončić was set to be eligible for a super-max extension this offseason, which would have paid him $345 million over five seasons. However, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that after the trade, he will no longer be eligible to ink a super-max deal this summer.
However, Marks explained on X (formerly Twitter) that Dončić could benefit financially in the long run from the trade to the Lakers.
Here are the contract options for Luka.
Despite the super max extension off the table, Doncic should actually make more in the long run.
Important to note that if Doncic does not sign an extension in August, the financial playing field in what the Lakers can offer and a team… pic.twitter.com/wMJRHWY9pH
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 2, 2025
Los Angeles acquired Dončić, along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks in a three-team trade. Dallas received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. The third team in the deal, the Utah Jazz, received Jalen Hood-Schifino and two 2025 second-round selections.
Dončić’s Career Earnings and Net Worth
Dončić is only 25 years old, but he’s already in his seventh NBA season after being the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Through his first six seasons, Dončić has already earned $152,231,698 from his NBA contracts alone.
Dončić’s net worth is estimated to be in the $50 million to $58 million range. Most of that stems from his playing career, but the superstar also has several endorsement deals, including one with Nike’s Jordan Brand.
Dončić should be even more marketable in Los Angeles. He’s already had three different signature shoes released through Nike, but fans can probably expect more. Dončić is already a global superstar and one of the faces of the NBA, but the Lakers brand and fan base is next-level and there will be plenty of opportunities for him in Southern California.
While Dončić will obviously learn a ton from James on the court, he can also pick up some pointers off the court. After all, James became a billionaire because he did an incredible job building his brand and investing in various businesses.
Dončić has finished in the top five of NBA MVP voting three times, and he’s a five-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year.
Last season, Dončić led the Mavericks to a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference and a surprise trip to the NBA Finals. During the NBA playoffs, the Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves. But in the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics defeated the Mavericks in five games.
Dončić was terrific in the Finals, though, averaging 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.
Dallas shocked the sports world by trading Dončić just after midnight on Sunday, Feb. 2. Not only were the Mavs coming off a Finals run, they were sitting at 26-23 and in eighth place in the Western Conference. There were no rumblings of a potential Dončić trade and rival teams reportedly didn’t even know he was available.
Now, Dončić and James will try to lead the Lakers to their 16th championship. Los Angeles won its most recent NBA title in 2020. In the first round of last year’s playoffs, the Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in five games.
