DALLAS — Luka Doncic has signed his rookie contract with the Dallas Mavericks that will pay the third overall pick $5.5 million next season.
The Mavericks announced Monday night that the 19-year-old EuroLeague MVP had signed the deal.
Just days ago, the Mavericks were still working on Doncic’s buyout from Real Madrid. The Mavs said then that they were hopeful they could complete that transaction and, hopefully, allow Doncic to play in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
“He has not had a live practice yet, but he will be in Vegas,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said last week. “He is going to continue to ramp up his workload and there remains a possibility that he could play. But to what percentage I could guarantee that, I just can’t. I’m not going to go there.
In an interview earlier this week with NBA TV at NBA Summer League, Carlisle said the Mavs had not been able to get Doncic into any practices but that the rookie did participate in some non-contact workouts.
Dallas moved up two spots in the NBA draft last month to get the versatile Slovenian guard, who was selected by Atlanta at No. 3. The Mavericks picked former Oklahoma scoring sensation Trae Young for the Hawks at No. 5 as part of the deal that includes a protected 2019 first-round draft pick going to Atlanta.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Doncic is set to make $6.4 million in his second season with the Mavericks.
Doncic signed with Real Madrid at age 13 and made his debut as a 16-year-old. Real Madrid won the 2017-18 EuroLeague title and he was the Final Four MVP.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
