Luka Doncic Breaks Silence On Mavericks Trading Him To Lakers: ‘I Thought I’d Spend My Career Here’

NBA star Luka Doncic has broken his silence on the Dallas Mavericks trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

#MFFL pic.twitter.com/qVMcV2uh5m

— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) February 2, 2025

The Mavericks acquired Doncic from the Atlanta Hawks on draft night in 2018 for Trae Young. Doncic has career averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists. He is third in NBA history in points per game.  

According to NBA insider Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, Doncic was stunned by the trade. 

“This feels more about Dallas and Doncic than even Davis and the Lakers — a shock in and of itself,” Goodwill wrote. “Doncic is shocked with the move, sources told Yahoo Sports. And that could very well be in response to how serious he took the organization’s concerns about his conditioning and diet.”

Lakers superstar LeBron James was Doncic’s basketball idol growing up. Now, the two NBA icons are teammates in Los Angeles. 

The Mavericks reached the NBA Finals last year. They lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. 

Doncic has appeared in 22 games this season. He’s averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists while shooting 46.4% from the field, 35.4% from beyond the arc and 76.7% from the free-throw line. 

A future Hall of Famer, Doncic has made five All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams. He won the 2019 Rookie of the Year Award and the 2024 scoring title. 

Doncic is making $43 million this season. He’ll make $45.9 million next season and has a player option worth $48.9 million for the 2026-27 season. 

The Lakers are in fifth place in the Western Conference standings. They now have a “Big 3” of Doncic, LeBron and Austin Reaves. 

Meanwhile, the Mavericks are in eighth place in the West. They now have a “Big 3” of Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. 

“We are thankful for Luka and grateful for his efforts during his time with us,” Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said. “He helped build this team and was an integral part of the success we’ve seen throughout the years, including our recent NBA Finals run, along with Maxi and Markieff who are veteran voices equally valued across this team.”

Grateful for this amazing opportunity. Basketball means everything to me, and no matter where I play the game, I’ll do so with the same joy, passion and goal – to win championships. https://t.co/psfgI5o9Pn

— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) February 2, 2025