What's next for Luka Dončić after signing mega-deal with Dallas Mavericks?
There's a new big-money player in the state of Texas.
Luka Dončić ended any and all speculation about his Dallas Mavericks future — however up in that air that truly was — by agreeing to a super-max rookie extension worth $207 million over five years on Monday.
The franchise confirmed Monday's report on the team website and sent out a tweet of the 22-year-old guard making it official at a hotel in his hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Dončić called signing the extension a "really special moment" and thanked the large Mavericks contingent — which included team owner Mark Cuban, new head coach Jason Kidd and special advisor (and team legend) Dirk Nowitzki — that flew to Slovenia to seal the deal.
As a two-time All-NBA selection in his first three years as an NBA pro, Dončić is the first rookie to qualify for the super-max extension. Given the magnitude of the deal, it isn't difficult to understand why the Mavericks pulled out all the stops to get the 2018 No. 3 overall pick locked up.
"This was all of the priorities in Dallas," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski explained. "… This isn't just a face of their franchise. This is going to be — and is, really — a face of the NBA. This is going to be a player who is going to win MVPs. And obviously, in Dallas, they hope it's a player that's going to lead them to championships."
Speaking of championships, Dončić has guided the Mavericks to back-to-back playoff berths, both of which resulted in first-round exits at the hands of the LA Clippers.
It'd be difficult to lay the blame for those exits at Dončić's feet, though. This past postseason, he averaged 35.7 points, 10.3 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 40.2 minutes played per game as Dallas fell short in seven games.
That's after he put up 27.7 PPG, 8.6 APG and 8.0 RPG in the regular season to lead the Mavs to a 42-30 record and the team's first Southwest division title since the 2009-10 season.
On "Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe spelled out why Dončić is worth every cent of the deal.
"For me, $207 million, that's all he got because that's all they could give him," Sharpe said. "… If they could've gave him $300 [million], that's what he would've got."
Chris Broussard echoed those thoughts on "First Things First," saying that he envisions the Larry O'Brien Trophy making its way to Dallas.
In fact, Broussard said at least one championship in Dallas should be forthcoming for Dončić and the Mavs, especially if Dončić re-ups with the Mavs after this super-max deal is through.
"He's already a top-five player in the league," Broussard said. "… He's a big-time MVP candidate. … I think he stays in Dallas at least for another contract after this. … So I don't think he'll just win a championship — or championships — I think he will actually win a championship, at least one, in Dallas."
Chris Broussard: Luka Dončić will not regret staying in Dallas at all; he'll win a title with them I FIRST THINGS FIRST
But, for the most part, in order to win championships in today's NBA, Batman needs at least one Robin and maybe even two.
The Mavericks hoped they had found that when they traded for Kristaps Porziņģis from the New York Knicks ahead of the 2019-20 season, but it hasn't quite done the trick.
Porziņģis has been a 20.3 PPG, 9.2 RPG player in his two regular seasons in Dallas, but those averages dipped to 16.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG come playoff time. Health issues have also plagued the 26-year-old Latvian, who has missed 47 regular-season games in two seasons, along with a trio of playoff games in 2020.
Furthermore, as ESPN's Stephen A. Smith pointed out, Dončić and Porziņģis might not have the most amicable working relationship.
"Even if healthy … by all the things that I've been hearing, it's not going to work," Smith said. "This is a guy that has a problem with Luka Dončić being the face of the franchise. This is a guy that has a problem with being perceived as a No. 2. … Let me be very, very clear about it. I'm just saying based on the things that you hear in NBA circles … When something like that transpires, Max, it doesn't matter if you're healthy or not. It's not gonna work."
If Porziņģis isn't the right running mate for Dončić, the Mavs' front office will need to get to work finding the guy — or guys — who are. Considering that Dallas got the big business of locking down Dončić done, it's pretty safe to assume where their priorities lie.
But even if the Mavs manage to build around their superstar, not everyone is a staunch believer in Dončić's ability to deliver an NBA Finals triumph.
Skip Bayless expressed his hesitance to anoint Dončić, whom many liken to Larry Bird by dubbing the Slovenian "Baby Bird."
Dončić has the talent, the star power and now the mega-contract — along with the expectations (and doubters) that come with all of it.
His next order of business? A ring.
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