Luka Doncic Likely to Surpass Jaylen Brown's Record-Setting NBA Contract?

Luka Doncic's next contract could break the record-setting deal that Jaylen Brown signed with the Celtics. How much could the Mavs superstar earn next?

DALLAS — Jaylen Brown signing a five-year, $304 million contract extension with the Boston Celtics set a new record for the largest contract in NBA history. However, it will quickly be surpassed by other supermax-eligible superstars signing new contracts in the near future. 

Luka Doncic, who has now totaled four consecutive All-NBA First-Team nods, is entering the second year of a five-year, $215.2 million supermax contract that he signed with the Dallas Mavericks prior to the 2022-23 season. He has a player option worth just under $49 million that he will surely decline given the financial incentive to do so. 

In the summer of 2025, Doncic will be eligible to sign a contract extension with the Mavs worth up to 35 percent of the league's salary cap. Such a deal would translate to a five-year, $367 million extension. However, he would be limited to signing for only 30 percent of the salary cap if he departed from Dallas to sign elsewhere. 

Before Doncic's current contract ends, he will have received nearly $200 million in career earnings just from his player contract — assuming he chooses to decline his final year player option for 2026-27. 

There are a handful of other superstars on track to earn a supermax contract extension that would surpass Brown's record-setting contract. Among them include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic.  

For some of these superstars, the main decision for them will be whether staying with their current team to sign for the supermax is the proper career move as opposed to departing in order to have a greater path to championship contention. The top name that comes to mind in this regard is Embiid, as his Philadelphia 76ers have yet to win a title, and they're also dealing with a James Harden trade request. 

Given how many failed moves the Sixers have made in attempts to build a title contender, Embiid may end up facing the need to move on from Philadelphia. However, it remains to be seen how the team will navigate a potential Harden trade. Regardless, though, the odds seem to be stacked against them.

The Mavs made moves to bolster the supporting cast around Doncic this offseason following the midseason trade to acquire a co-star in Kyrie Irving. The team acquired Grant Williams to address the four spot after parting with Dorian Finney-Smith in the midseason deal with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Irving.

The results the Mavs achieve in player development could be a major influencing factor on the trajectory of the franchise. The team has remained patient with Josh Green's development and the 2023-24 season would be an opportune time for him to take a leap. Jaden Hardy showed flashes as a rookie and his development as a playmaker was the focus of the team's Summer League squad. 

The Mavs had a favorable draft haul by landing Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, but it tends to take young players time to develop. Both players have intriguing defensive attributes with an understands that being a complementary talent doing the dirty work is how they will make their mark. If they prove to be ahead of schedule, it could rapidly impact the team's rotation. Otherwise, it could raise more questions than answers going forward.

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Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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