The Lakers were in a bind with LeBron James earlier in the summer as he wants to win now. However, they are more concerned with building with Luka Doncic, the recently traded All-Star made it known he wants to be in James' timeline as well.

So Doncic took the next step toward turning his dreams into reality Saturday when he agreed to a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension through 2028 with the Lakers, bypassing a chance at free agency next summer.

Just days after he signed a three-year, $165 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic got back to work — but not for the Purple and Gold. The 26-year-old has returned to his home country Slovenia to join the national team in preparation for EuroBasket 2025.