DALLAS Mavericks star Luka Doncic secured the scholarship.
The 6-foot-2 guard became eligible to sign the largest contract in NBA history after making the 2023-24 first-team All-NBA.
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Doncic, 25, could sign a supermax extension in the 2025 offseason worth $346.4 million over five years.
The deal, worth 35% of the salary cap, is typically available to veterans with at least 10 years of NBA experience.
But the NBA introduced the designated veteran rule in 2017, allowing players with between five and seven years of experience to gain supermax eligibility if they meet certain criteria.
One of them is being named to an All-NBA team or receiving the Defensive Player of the Year award in the most recent season, or two of the last three years.
The other is winning the MVP honor in one of the three most recent seasons.
Doncic has now made the All-NBA first team team for the fifth year in a row – and the 2024-25 campaign will be his seventh in the NBA.
That means he could sign the supermax contract next summer even if he doesn’t receive the All-NBA nod next season.
If signed, the extension would take effect at the start of the 2026-27 season, according to ESPN Marcos Bobby.
That season, the Slovenian-born point guard would pocket around US$59.7 million.
In the final year of the deal – the 2030-31 campaign – he would earn $78.8 million.
Doncic’s $346.4 million contract would surpass Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s $304 million contract as the largest of all time in total value.
Brown signed the extension last year, using the same rules designated for veterans.
Doncic averaged an NBA-leading 33.9 points as well as 8.4 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.4 steals during the 2023-24 regular season.
On Wednesday, he led Dallas to a 108-105 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with a 33-point performance.
NBA Western Conference Playoffs
First round
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) 4-0 New Orleans Pelicans (8)
Los Angeles Clippers (4) 2-4 Dallas Mavericks (5)
Minnesota Timberwolves (3) 4-0 Phoenix Suns (6)
Denver Nuggets (2) 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers (7)
Conference Semifinals
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) 2-4 Dallas Mavericks (5)
Minnesota Timberwolves (3) 4-3 Denver Nuggets (2)
Conference Finals
Minnesota Timberwolves (3) x Dallas Mavericks (5)
The Mavs star shot 46.2% from the field and was 3-of-10 (30%) from beyond the arc.
Doncic also recorded six rebounds, eight assists and three steals to give the Mavericks a 1-0 series lead.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving recorded 30 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Irving dropped 24 points in the first half alone, keeping the Mavs in the game amid a strong 24 minutes from the Timberwolves.
“He helped us. Without him, we probably would have been down by 20 at halftime,” Doncic said of his All-Star teammate.
“I had to help him a little in the second half. So this time we switched roles.”
Game 2 will begin at 8:30 pm ET on Friday night.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
