The NBA world still talks about the shock of the Dallas Mavericks trading away Luka Doncic in his prime. However, it turns out that Dallas did more than trade Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers when realizing they were done with him. Various reports were leaked to the media about Luka not committing to getting in better shape or being a great leader for the title contender.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick revealed more details and said it was a “smear campaign’ to hurt Doncic’s reputation:
“The Los Angeles Lakers star has been a lightning rod for criticism from that crowd for nearly a decade now, from the time the Slovenian sensation entered the league as a fiery and absurdly talented rookie in those early Dallas Mavericks days.
But the actual basketball people – even the ones who were most critical about his defensive struggles, the contentious relationship with the refs and his (previous) physique – always acknowledged his undeniable greatness (except for the Mavericks when they worked so hard to justify the February 2025 trade with a smear campaign behind the scenes).”
Amick claims that the Mavericks wanted to make Luka look bad in a new situation. The Lakers are the most high-profile NBA team with greater pressure from the fan base. Dallas wanted to make Lakers’ fans doubt Doncic, but he instantly played well. Luka formed strong chemistry with LeBron James and Austin Reaves to become a popular Lakers star.
Why Mavericks Wanted To Hurt Luka Doncic
Former Mavericks President Nico Harrison disliked Doncic for not working as hard as he wanted from a franchise player. However, Luka likely felt offended over these accusations since he led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals before falling short against the Boston Celtics.
Mavericks’ fans expected a couple more deep playoff runs from the superstar tandem of Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Unfortunately, Harrison felt that Luka couldn’t lead Dallas over the hump and intentionally traded him to the most stressful environment.
This led to the Mavericks investing in Anthony Davis and leaking reports about all the things Doncic did poorly. Lakers fans never booed or took the bait to villainize Luka. Meanwhile, Dallas quickly gave up on Davis and fired Harrison due to fan anger.
How Luka Doncic Shut Up Mavs Critics
Doncic has worked hard to improve in the areas that Dallas felt he lacked at. The past few years showed Luka getting into his best conditioning by leaning up at the gym. Lakers’ management is thrilled with the commitment from the face of the franchise.
Leadership has also improved with Doncic taking all his teammates on a mini-camp trip to his home of Slovenia. The Lakers even received tips from Luka on finding a center, and they appear to have found their ideal big man Walker Kessler thanks to Doncic.
Nothing beyond injuries has raised any red flags for Luka during his Lakers tenure. Incredible stats on the court and leadership off the court makes Doncic one of the best players in the league. Dallas’ effort to hurt Luka’s reputation failed as badly as the shocking trade did.
Mavericks Accused Of Trying To Ruin Luka Doncic’s Lakers Rep