Luka Doncic hints at supermax deal with Dallas Mavericks. ‘I think you know the answer’
Even though the Dallas Mavericks lost Game 7 of their first-round NBA playoff series to the Los Angeles Clippers, Luka Doncic didn’t walk off the court without earning the respect Clippers players, including Kawhi Leonard.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” Leonard said following the Clippers dramatic 126-111 win over the Mavs. “Great 1-on-1 player. Can pass to his teammates. You can’t pick one game to lock in on him.”
And now it appears he’s ready for the payoff.
Doncic was all smiles as he talked to the media Monday afternoon, — and kind of answered/ one lingering question: Whether he would sign a supermax extension this summer?
“I think you know the answer,” Doncic slyly said. “I’m not going to lie to you — I think you know the answer.”
ESPN noted that the projection so far on the 5-year-deal is around $201.5 million, a deal Doncic is eligible for due to making All-NBA in 2019-20. This would make him the first player in league history to sign a rookie extension over $200 million.
The 22-year-old also spoke about playing for his home country of Slovenia in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “That’s my next goal: qualify Slovenia to the Olympics. Going to be heading back to Slovenia to start practicing, so no vacation.”
During these playoffs, Doncic averaged 35.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game on his way to setting numerous scoring records.
This story was originally published June 7, 2021 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Luka Doncic hints at supermax deal with Dallas Mavericks. ‘I think you know the answer’."