It has been weeks since the Dallas Mavericks shockingly made the bold move to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. To many Mavs fans, it still feels surreal that Doncic is actually no longer a Maverick.
That reality is going to hit them harder this Tuesday night when, for the first time since the trade, the Mavericks and the Lakers will face off on the court.
Much has been said about the Doncic’s trade to LA. Dallas general manager Nico Harrison appeared to imply that the reason the Mavs made such a move was because Dallas wanted to be better defensively. Defense has always been known as a weakness in Doncic’s armor. Although he did not mention Doncic’s name directly, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont seemingly raised an issue about the Slovenian star’s “dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome.”
Questions about Doncic’s weight and conditioning were also mentioned as chief Mavericks’ concerns before making the trade. Doncic reportedly weighed over 260 pounds earlier in the 2024-25 NBA season with the Mavs.
While Luka Doncic has never vehemently reacted to such reports emanating from the Mavericks camp, he is said to be using that as a major motivation.
“Though Dončić did not publicly comment on the constant flow of leaks from the Mavericks organization disparaging his weight and conditioning, one source close to Dončić told ESPN the comments have served as a motivator. “A beast was awakened inside him,” the source said,” read an excerpt from Dave McMenamin’s piece on ESPN.
During the 2025 NBA All-Star break, the 25-year-0ld Doncic even spent time in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico not just to relax and unwind but to work out together with Los Angeles assistant coach Scott Brooks.
It appears Doncic’s short break is already paying off. After scoring 14 points in the Lakers’ first game since the NBA All-Star Weekend, in a 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Doncic erupted for 32 points to go with 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and a block in 31 minutes of action during a 123-100 takedown of Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on the road last Saturday.
The best is yet to come for Doncic in a Lakers uniform, with all eyes on him as he takes on the Mavericks for the first time in his NBA career.
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