Luka Dončić has stepped into the spotlight as the new centerpiece of the Los Angeles Lakers following LeBron James’ move to the Philadelphia 76ers. But as the franchise and its All-Star guard look ahead to the next NBA season, Dončić is also dealing with a serious legal dispute away from the court involving his former fiancée, Anamaria Goltes.
According to TMZ, Goltes has filed a lawsuit in Slovenia and is pursuing a $50 million settlement. The report states that she is seeking $40 million for herself, while the remaining $10 million would be designated for the former couple’s two children.
Goltes is also reportedly asking the court to modify Dončić’s custody arrangement, reducing his parenting time from two days per week to one.
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The latest development comes after Goltes recently moved to withdraw a child support filing in Los Angeles, saying she wanted the issue handled “amicably and by a mutual agreement.” Based on the Slovenia filing, however, any potential resolution could still involve a substantial financial settlement if the court rules in her favor.
Dončić and Goltes were together for a decade before calling off their engagement earlier in 2026. Their two daughters, ages two years old and seven months old, currently reside in Slovenia.
Dončić has reportedly spent much of the summer in his native country so he can remain close to his children while the custody matter plays out. At the same time, he is expected to host several of his Lakers teammates for a minicamp later in August.
On the basketball side, Dončić and the Lakers agreed last summer to a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension. Los Angeles acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks in February 2025 in a blockbuster trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas, stunning NBA fans and analysts. Once the season wrapped, the Lakers moved quickly to secure Dončić as a long-term pillar of the franchise.
That deal officially starts this upcoming season. If Dončić winds up losing this settlement, he’ll pay Goltes his entire NBA salary of $49.4 million, plus an additional $600,000.
To date, Dončić made has made a little over $198 million in his NBA career. He actually lost some money when he got traded to the Mavericks, both in the form of a reworked contract and in the amount of years and dollars he was able to sign for.
Dončić’s new Lakers deal has a player option for the 2028-29 season. If Dončić opts out, he could sign a contract worth 35% of the NBA salary cap. Based on current salary cap projections, that would be $417 million over five seasons.
We’ll see how Dončić and Goltes’s situation shakes out. Most people would be devastated to fork over $50 million, but Dončić at least has the ability to recoup it in the not-too-distant future.
