Mark Walter making Shohei Ohtani the highest-paid participant in MLB historical past is sweet information for Luka Doncic forward of a possible contract extension.
Because the Los Angeles Lakers look to kickstart the Luka Doncic period, they’ll achieve this below the watchful eye of a brand new proprietor.
LA Dodgers proprietor and businessman Mark Walter bought the Lakers for $10 billion from the Buss household.
Magic Johnson applauded his enterprise companion’s new enterprise, because it’s one that’s so near his coronary heart, given his work with the Lakers as a participant and an govt.
Shattering the Boston Celtics’ $6.1 billion report sale value, Walter appears to take the Lakers to new heights. However he can’t do this with out the assist of Luka Doncic.
Fortunately, Doncic endorsed Walter as the brand new Lakers proprietor, seemingly confirming his future with the staff.
And it’s attainable that Doncic checked out Walter’s tenure as an MLB proprietor for reassurance that he can be taken care of.
Mark Walter might have damaged the financial institution to buy the Lakers. However followers can relaxation assured that he’ll prioritize signing and retaining superstars.
Final yr, Walter signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract in free company. It was the most important free-agent MLB contract in historical past.
This report was damaged just a few months in the past, when the New York Mets signed Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract.
However Walter’s willingness to spend huge on Ohtani, among the best baseball gamers on the planet, exhibits that he prioritizes profitable and doing so with superstars.
This ought to be an enormous enhance to Luka Doncic’s morale, as he received’t have to fret about Walter calling to do away with him to keep away from paying him just like the Dallas Mavericks did this previous February.
Whereas Luka Doncic’s commerce from the Dallas Mavericks nonetheless perplexes followers, the staff’s homeowners performed an enormous function within the commerce.
Mark Cuban offered the Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson household in 2023. And after an excellent 2023-24 NBA season the place Doncic took the staff to the NBA Finals, Luka earned an enormous future payday.
Luka was eligible to signal a five-year, $345 million contract extension with the Mavericks this offseason. Nonetheless, there have been some considerations about his well being, health, and conditioning going ahead.
The Mavericks didn’t wish to pay Doncic $345 million as a result of they didn’t like how he devoted himself to caring for his physique, and feared he may grow to be injury-prone like Joel Embiid.
This led to the fateful selection the place the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic. The excellent news for Doncic is that the Lakers’ new proprietor received’t make the identical mistake.
Doncic will probably signal a contract extension with the Lakers, though he can’t signal a full supermax.
Brian Windhorst has urged Doncic to re-sign with the Lakers quickly, when he is ready to later this offseason, forward of an early August deadline.
By signing a short-term extension, he retains his choices open and may signal the complete supermax when eligible with the Lakers.
