Report: Luka Doncic Has Alternated Between Shock, Sadness, Anger Since Mavericks-Lakers Trade

According to NBA reporter Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Luka Doncic has alternated between shock, sadness and anger since the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Doncic is currently living in a hotel in Los Angeles. 

“Those close to him say he has alternated between shock, sadness and anger in the weeks since the trade,” Shelburne wrote. “Every day that he goes home to the Los Angeles hotel he’s living in with his fiancée and young daughter is a reminder of how much his life has been upended.”

Doncic and the Lakers defeated the Mavericks on Tuesday (2/25) at home. Doncic finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists.

One of the top players in the NBA, Doncic is averaging 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists with the Lakers, who are 3-2 with the star in the lineup. 

“I’m glad this game is over,” Doncic said. “There was a lot of emotions. But we go little by little and every day is better. … I’m just glad it’s over honestly. It was just so weird, the moments. Felt like I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Doncic appeared in 422 games with the Mavericks. He averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists and made five All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams. The future Hall of Famer wanted to spend his entire career in Dallas, but Mavericks GM Nico Harrison was ready to move on from him for several reasons. 

Harrison wasn’t happy with Doncic’s weight and conditioning.

Dallas governor Patrick Dumont also insinuated that Doncic didn’t work hard. 

“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” Dumont told NBA reporter Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks. That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”

The Lakers can offer Doncic a four-year, $229 million extension this summer, or, like other teams, a five-year, $296 million contract in the summer of 2026.