In one of the least surprising roster moves of 2020, the Mavericks have exercised their 2021/22 team option on superstar guard/forward Luka Doncic, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Unlike the veteran team option decisions for ’20/21 that were due last month, team options on rookie scale contracts are due one year in advance of them going into effect. Clubs will have to finalize those decisions for ’21/22 within the next four weeks — December 29 is the deadline.
Of course, in Doncic’s case, the move was a mere formality. The 21-year-old has already emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate after two NBA seasons, having averaged 28.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 8.8 APG in 61 games (33.6 MPG) for the Mavericks in 2019/20.
Doncic had already been slated to make $8.05MM this season. Dallas’ option decision will lock in his $10.17MM salary for ’21/22. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2021 offseason and it’s a virtual certainty that the Mavs will sign him to a new maximum-salary contract as soon as they can.