Everyone was stunned when the first Shams Charania tweet dropped late Saturday night to tell the world that Luka Doncic was being traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. It wasn’t just fans that were unaware the blockbuster deal was on the horizon, but the players involved, their co-stars that remain in Dallas and L.A., and executives around the league were all in the dark until that first word broke just after midnight.
Doncic was reportedly blindsided by the trade and reportedly did not return Mavs GM Nico Harrison’s calls or texts after the trade got announced. After spending seven seasons with the Mavs, making first-team All-NBA each of the last five years, and leading Dallas to the Finals last summer, Doncic was extremely high on the list of players that figured to be untouchable in trade talks. Instead, his own team shopped him to the Lakers, who couldn’t say no to the chance to acquire a top-5 player in the league entering his prime, even if it makes things a little murky this season with LeBron James and now no high-end big man.
While figuring out how to maximize this year’s group is now the challenge facing Doncic, James, and first-year head coach JJ Redick, Doncic used Sunday to reflect on the last seven years and released a statement to Mavs fans thanking them for everything.
Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level. I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship. The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home. In the good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed. Thank you not only for sharing my joy in our best moments, but also for lifting me up when I needed it most.
To all the organizations I’ve worked with throughout the Dallas community, thank you for letting me contribute to your important work and join you in bringing light to those who need it. As I start the next part of my basketball journey, I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home.
Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Unsurprisingly, Doncic’s statement doesn’t mention anyone in the organization that just traded him suddenly in the middle of the night and explained they had concerns about his conditioning. The second sentence is the one that will eat at Mavs fans for a long time, saying he thought he’d spend his whole career in Dallas. Whether that would’ve remained the case in a year or two years, by trying to anticipate Doncic potentially asking out or trying to leave as a free agent, the Mavs ensured they looked like the bad guys in this situation. That’s great for Luka, who will likely get a king’s welcome every time he plays in Dallas from now through the end of his career rather than hearing boos cascade down on him like players who push their way out.
