Advertisement

Commentary: Why Mavericks grew frustrated with Luka Doncic and offered him to Lakers

Dallas guard Luka Doncic, right, drives against Utah's Cody Williams on Oct. 28.
Dallas guard Luka Doncic, right, drives against Utah’s Cody Williams on Oct. 28. The Lakers acquired Doncic on Saturday night in blockbuster trade involving Anthony Davis.
(Albert Pena / Associated Press)

You weren’t dreaming. You didn’t imagine it. It wasn’t some kind of strange Saturday night hallucination.

Yes, you watched the Lakers play one of their best basketball games of the season. Yes, you saw the team, maybe more than ever, look like a group that could make a run to the playoffs.

And then, yes, you read that the foundation of the Lakers’ present, and most importantly, its future, were completely altered.

The Lakers did, in fact, trade Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick for Luka Doncic minutes after the team pulled out of Madison Square Garden. In a single moment, the team officially ended questions about how much more it should pour into a team built around LeBron James and Davis. And it skipped through the ugly future everyone had accepted in the post-James aftermath, another uncomfortable rebuild likely the cost of one last push.

Advertisement

Well, that’s done now. The Lakers have a future — a 25-year-old star who is maybe the second-best living basketball player. And they completely upended their present plans to make it happen.

The deal happened in almost total secrecy, The Times first hearing rumors of the Lakers and the Mavericks working together on something from a rival executive on Thursday night. The only problem was that no one knew what the teams were talking about.

The Lakers acquire Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.

People in both organizations were asked about possible talks and no one even came close to mentioning the blockbuster deal, their responses ranging from “first I’ve heard of this” to “maybe it’s (Daniel) Gafford.” Davis, just two weeks ago, had publicly lobbied for the Lakers to trade for a center and the team had been canvassing the NBA for options to pair with Davis.

Nothing, though, felt imminent on that front with people close to the situation left believing that the Lakers biggest priority had shifted to finding another offensive playmaker.

The belief, though, was that the team was headed towards a smaller move to augment their current roster. That group was playing some of its best basketball, having won eight times in the last 10 games with the NBA’s third-best net rating over that span.

In Dallas, according to reports, the Mavericks were growing frustrated with Doncic’s conditioning. He’d been out of action since suffering a calf injury on Christmas, and this summer was headed for the kind of no-brainer max extension every player even close to his standing gets offered and signs. Except, it appears, the Mavericks weren’t comfortable with that.

Advertisement

Doncic posted a lengthy message on social media platform X thanking Dallas fans for welcoming him as a teen and providing a home away from home. He also lauded community organizations he collaborated with to help those in need during his career.

“I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship,” Doncic wrote.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic drives against Lakers forward Anthony Davis during a game in December 2023.
(LM Otero / Associated Press)

He followed that with a response to the Lakers’ announcement welcoming Doncic to the franchise.

“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,” Doncic wrote.

According to people briefed on the trade not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison approached Lakers GM Rob Pelinka about the possibility of a deal, the two having a long history that goes back to Harrison’s work at Nike with Kobe Bryant, when Pelinka was his agent. In Davis, the Mavericks were going to get a game-changing frontcourt defender to pair with Kyrie Irving while reuniting the All-Star big with Jason Kidd, who was on Frank Vogel’s championship staff in 2020.

Advertisement

And while Davis, according to people familiar with the situation, was stunned — again, no one knew about this — the eventual end with the Lakers was probably coming at some point.

The Lakers spent a big chunk of their summer messaging to Davis that he would be the driver in their future decisions, only for the team to hire a first-time coach against his wishes while failing to aggressively overhaul the roster. And if James were to retire and the Lakers needed to head into a full rebuild, Davis would be the best tool to turbo-charge that process.

By acquiring Doncic, the Lakers’ post-James era has its first (and biggest) tent pole.

Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ general manager and vice president of basketball operations, says he’ll continue to build a roster around Luka Doncic.

The short-term, on-court impact, though, is less clear. Rival evaluators familiar with the Lakers point to the team’s three best players now being high-usage on-ball players. In dealing Christie, the Lakers lost their best perimeter defender. In trading Davis, of course, they lost their best interior defender.

Jaxson Hayes is now the lone true center on the full-time roster, with Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison III on two-way deals.

The trade also means that getting James another run at a title in the short term is not the Lakers’ top priority, which certainly could cloud his plans for the future. He’s got a no-trade clause and can opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He also could request a trade for the first time in his 22-season career and further accelerate the Lakers into their future plans. It’s all still too fresh, though his plans have been subject to plenty of leaguewide speculation.

The expectation is the Lakers will continue to be really active between now and Thursday’s noon PST trade deadline, desperately needing to upgrade their interior defense in both the short and long terms. The team still has a first-round pick in the 2031 NBA draft and a second-round pick in the 2025 to use in trades.

Advertisement

The Lakers dealt their murky present for an awe-inspiring future, and now you have to wonder, with the NBA trade deadline just four days away, are they done?

Anything between now and Thursday feels possible because late Saturday night, an impossibly shocking trade happened. The Lakers have their future face of the franchise.

And their present? More surprises could be incoming.

They’ve shown that anything, truly, is possible.

Advertisement
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top