According to NBA insiders Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Luka Doncic weighed more than 260 pounds in November.
The Dallas Mavericks were concerned about Doncic’s weight and conditioning, so they traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Lakers superstar LeBron James, Doncic’s childhood idol, plans to mentor the youngster.
“Over the prior six seasons, Doncic had played an average of 67 games per season,” Shelburne and MacMahon wrote. “This season, he missed 27 games, including the past six weeks since straining his left calf for the fourth time in three years. He gained weight while he was out, which frustrated team officials, sources said. The primary reasoning for an 11-day absence in late November, officially attributed to a right wrist sprain, was to provide Doncic time to shed weight after he had ballooned into the high 260s, sources said. He had a similar shutdown in December 2021, early in the first season of the Harrison-Kidd regime.”
Doncic appeared in 422 games with the Mavericks. He averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
A future Hall of Famer, Doncic made five All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams with Dallas. He also won the 2019 Rookie of the Year Award and the 2024 scoring title.
According to NBA insiders Fred Katz, Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Doncic is “ecstatic” about joining the Lakers.
“Now that the trade is official, answers are emerging,” Katz, Amick and Vardon wrote. “Dončić is ecstatic about joining the Lakers, and all early signs point to a long-term future with the team, a league source said.”
LeBron, 40, has a no-trade clause in his contract. He’s the oldest player in the NBA but still a dominant force.
The leading scorer in NBA history, LeBron is averaging 24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists this season.
Doncic has appeared in only 22 games this season. He’s currently out with a calf injury. The 25-year-old is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists.
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Luka was so excited about the trade he cried like a little baby. Should have stayed away from the Dunkin Doughnuts and Golden Corral’s all you can eat buffets…