Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic will be eligible next offseason for a massive contract that could pay him over $100 million per year. NBA hall-of-famer Shaquille O’Neal recently gave Doncic some financial advice on an episode of “The Pat McAfee Show”.
“Luka is about to get $100 million. If I was him, I would say, ‘Okay, just pay me $20 million this year and defer that $80 million, just defer it to when I’m done playing,'” O’Neal said. “Because you know that $80 million is not gonna be $80 million after taxes, just pay me $20 million, and the other $80 million after taxes just put it away. I don’t wanna see it till I’m 35.”
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The finance-savvy retiree is known for blowing his first NBA contract almost immediately. O’Neal learned from his mistake and has since become one of the wealthiest former players of all time, largely due to his off-court partnerships and investments.
Deferring some of the money from his new contract wouldn’t hurt Doncic, especially considering that he’s much more selective when it comes to brand partnerships. Barring an unprecedented streak of bad luck, Doncic likely won’t face financial struggles ever again.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
