Doncic should show off his own strength and force James to leave or cut his salary. Otherwise, he refuses to sign a contract renewal of 300 million yuan

Just May 2025, the Lakers were eliminated by the Timberwolves as the third in the West, and Luca Doncic's contract renewal became the focus. Although Doncic expressed his "willing to stay in the team" in the interview, considering the ending of Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and Devin Wade joining forces with LeBron James, Doncic had reason to propose two conditions to protect himself before renewing the contract with the Lakers, that is, let James leave the Lakers or renew the contract with a lower contract. If Robert Pelinka and Jenny Bass do not agree, Doncic can completely refuse to renew the contract and even transfer to other teams. Doncic takes this tough stance mainly to avoid repeating the mistakes of the "old James player" and clearing the obstacles for the ultimate goal of his personal career.

Historical lessons: Westbrook's "Jans-style bundling" ruined his career

Doncic should be very clear that the endings of those stars who have worked with James, especially the core of the ball, are hard to describe. At the Heat, Wade was forced to give up the ball and the team's position as the boss to satisfy James. As the attacker for James' return to the Cavaliers, Irving also ended up wandering everywhere. Westbrook played with James for a season and a half before he directly became a basic player. The "dual-core model" built around James has been repeatedly frustrated, and Doncic's technical characteristics almost overlap with James. Continuing to cooperate may ruin his career that has just entered the golden age.

James and Westbrook are controversial over the distribution of ball rights and defensive shortcomings. From 2021 to 2023, Westbrook was described as the Lakers' "vampire" and became the scapegoat for the Lakers' first round of elimination. The conflict in the locker room was open, and James put pressure on the management to force Westbrook to send off Westbrook, accelerating the team's internal friction. From 2023 to 2024, Russell assisted James as the "second-in-chief of the organization" and was often criticized for being criticized for defensive loopholes and invisible in key battles. The Lakers lost to the Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, and some public opinion has compared Doncic to Westbrook and Russell back then.

The core players who played against James in the past should make Doncic clearly realize that James' existence will naturally squeeze the tactical status and growth space of top ball holders. If the Lakers cannot solve the issue of ball rights distribution, Doncic may become a tool, rather than a real core of the championship.

Real dilemma: James' maximum salary and age have become the biggest obstacle to the Lakers' championship competition

In fact, even if James accepts a slight salary cut, his contract may still become a shackle for the Lakers to strengthen. 1. Capacity space locked: If James executes the 2025-26 season's $52.6 million player option, the Lakers' salary space in 2026 will be locked at more than $189 million, making it difficult to sign a top inside or an excellent 3D forward. If Doncic wants to sign a super maximum salary of US$418 million in five years, he will have to wait until 2028 (to meet 10 years of service), during which the Lakers will have to bear huge luxury tax pressure. 2. Age and condition decline: 40-year-old James averaged 25 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8 assists per game this season, but his defensive movement speed decreased, and the playoffs became the focus of his opponents. What Doncic needs is a deputy who can open up space and focus on off-ball, rather than a veteran who has a maximum salary but has a decline in offense and defense efficiency. 3. James continues to stay in the Lakers. According to the well-known reporter Shams Sharanya, it is expected to be a two-year maximum salary contract, which means Doncic will continue to "play" with James for two years, including the last year's retirement tour.

The dilemma of the Lakers' management is: forcibly keeping James, Doncic's contract renewal will become a "face project." Giving up James will have to bear the public opinion risk of "dual core disintegration". Fortunately, Doncic has bargaining chips to compete with the Lakers and James teams. Doncic must make it tough that James may renew his contract with an annual salary of $30 million, otherwise he will refuse to sign the contract renewal provided by the Lakers.

Doncic's contract renewal conditions seem harsh, but in fact it is based on accurate calculations of its own interests and the Lakers' future. First, the flexibility of Doncic contracts. Doncic can choose to have a maximum salary of US$229 million in four years (effective in 2026) or a minimum salary of US$165 million in three years (signing a super maximum salary again in 2028), which can not only avoid the loss of super maximum salary qualifications, but also retain the option to jump out in the future. If the Lakers refuse to agree to the conditions, Doncic may switch to other championship teams, and even follow Durant to form a new Big Three teams with enough salary space. The second is commercial value and brand effect. The Lakers' golden sign and Los Angeles' influence are temptations that Doncic cannot refuse. But if you cannot compete for the championship, your personal business value will be greatly reduced. Therefore, Doncic must ensure that the Lakers will win the championship immediately after renewal, rather than relying on James' "afterglow".

Pellinka chooses to compromise, so she needs to trade James in the 2025 offseason and free up her salary space. If she insists on retaining James, she may face huge risks of Doncic leaving the team. The initiative is completely in Doncic's hands, and there is only one window. The James era is about to end, and Doncic's patience is limited. The Lakers must meet Doncic's requirements and build a team to win the championship in 2026 around Doncic, opening the Doncic era. Doncic's request for renewal is essentially a microcosm of the cruel competition in professional sports. Superstars need absolute voice and resources to realize their talents, just like James squeezing other stars at his peak. For the Lakers, the choice of the summer of 2025 may determine the fate of the next ten years. The fate of this team and James is in Doncic's hands this summer. Doncic should not sign a $300 million contract if James does not leave the Lakers or does not cut his salary.

By the way, Doncic's career has proved countless times that he is a irritable and impatient person, which can be seen from forcing Rick Carlisle to take off and spraying the referee countless times in the game.