Luka Doncic put pen to paper on a supermax contract extension worth $207 million assuring the 22-year-old as the centerpiece of the Dallas Mavericks until 2027.
Dallas sent a contingent of owner Mark Cuban, coach Jason Kidd, president of basketball operations Nico Harrison, special adviser Dirk Nowitzki and assistant general manager Michael Finley to Slovenia where Doncic and agent Bill Duffy joined a press conference Tuesday.
“It’s a really special moment here. Thank you to Dallas for offering this… I never imagined this happening. I was only dreaming of playing in the NBA. Now I can sign an extension with the Dallas Mavericks for five more years.”
Doncic’s five-year, $207 million extension kicks off in the 2022-23 season. The two-time All-Star was visibly awed by the value of the deal as Kidd reminded him it was time to “get to work.”
“It’s a great sum, but I’m still not thinking about this,” Doncic said. “I have not bought myself anything worthwhile from this.”
The group was able to cheers the contract on Monday night, Cuban said.
“The food, the wine — the wine, the wine — was amazing. We had a good time with it,” he said.
He has helped guide the Mavericks to back-to-back playoff appearances as Cuban continues to search for another championship.
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Cuban said the Mavericks envision a Hall of Fame career “if not more, like Dirk.”
Duffy said in his 35 years in the business, he hasn’t found a player better than Doncic.
“It’s our feeling he’s the best individual player in the world, and an even better person,” Duffy said.
–Field Level Media