Doncic to sign $207M extension
A Mark Cuban-led Mavericks contingent arrived Monday in Ljubljana, Slovenia to hand-deliver Luka Doncic’s five-year, $207 million supermax contract extension to the 22-year-old superstar.
By night’s end in Slovenia, an agreement on the deal was reached.
Doncic becomes the first player eligible for the designated rookie max extension upon signing because he has twice been voted first-team ALL-NBA.
“Today is a dream come true,” Doncic told ESPN in a statement. “The game of basketball has given me so much and has taken me to so many amazing places. I am humbled and excited to remain in Dallas as part of the Mavericks and appreciate the support of my fans.”
The Mavs will hold a news conference Tuesday to formally announce the deal.
It’s been a whirlwind few days for Doncic, who led Slovenia’s national team to its first Olympics appearance and a fourthplace finish in Tokyo. The team returned to a heroes’ welcome from tens of thousands of cheering fans. And, now, Doncic will sign the richest contract in Mavs history.
On Monday, a large Mavs contingent led by Cuban, new president of basketball operations Nico Harrison, coach Jason Kidd and special adviser Dirk Nowitzki landed in Ljubljana. Fans tweeted photos of Cuban at the Ljubjana airport, and not long after that someone tweeted video of Nowitzki, Kidd, VP of basketball operations Michael Finley and Mavs director of player performance Casey Smith walking through downtown.
The Hornets signed coach James Borrego to a multiyear contract extension. Terms of the deal weren’t yet available. Borrego, 43, who had one year remaining on his previous deal, is 95-124 in three seasons with the Hornets. The team hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.
Auto racing: Longtime announcer Bob Jenkins, a former radio voice of the Indianapolis 500 whose career spanned more than five decades on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, died. He was 73. Jenkins revealed in February that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer.
Colleges: Miami senior QB D’eriq King sign an endorsement deal with the NHL’S Panthers. King will appear at some Panthers games and events, engage with fans on social media and produce digital content as well as develop a merchandise collection, co-branded art and his own concession menu item to be available at Panthers home games. Financial terms of the deal weren’t yet available. The Panthers were the first U.S. major pro sports team to develop a plan in which college athletes could align with them as part of the recent rule allowing them to profit off their name, image and likeness. King is the first college player to sign an endorsement deal with the team.
NFL: RB Saquon Barkley returned to Giants practice for the first time since tearing the ACL in his right knee early last season, and he expressed optimism afterward that he could be ready for the team’s season opener.
Soccer: U.S. forward Josh Sargent completed his move to newly-promited English Premier League club Norwich by signing a four-year contract. Sargent, 21, played for German club Werder Bremen since turning pro in 2018.