Luka Dončić had all the reasons to be upset and felt disrespected for what his father described as “hypocrisy” from the Dallas Mavericks to trade him without warning and the stories that came out in the aftermath.
A man of lesser character would be hurt and be petty. But Dončić, speaking for the first time since the most shocking trade in NBA history, chose not to stoop down to the level of the nasty rumors that came out from Dallas.
“At some point, I knew this was going to happen, but I would say I always take the high road,” Dončić told reporters on Tuesday, Feb. 4, during his Los Angeles Lakers introductory press conference. “You know I had my amazing moments in Dallas with all my teammates, coaches and most importantly, the fans. You know they always supported me and it was an amazing journey.”
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison shocked the sporting world, not just the NBA when he traded their 25-year-old franchise star for the 32-year-old 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.
Everyone, except perhaps for Harrison, was stunned and could not understand why he traded the widely recognized top-3 player in the world.
Even Dončić could not wrap it around his head. He didn’t return Harrison’s calls informing him of the trade. And he might never talk to him ever again with the manner the trade was executed without his knowledge.
“That’s their decision so I have no comment on that,” Dončić said when he was asked if he had a message to the Mavericks front office, particularly, to Harrison. “They made the decision. I don’t know why, but that’s their decision so I can’t do anything about it.”
The Luka Dončić-Mavericks Front Office Fallout
Harrison vaguely explained the rationale behind his stunning decision to trade the five-time All-Star and All-NBA player who just led them to the NBA Finals last season.
“One thing about me, I’m not going to talk bad about any players, like that’s not going to do us or me any good,” Harrison told reporters during his Sunday press conference. “I’ll just say there’s levels to it. There are people that fit the culture and there are people that come in and add to the culture. And those are two distinct things. And I believe the people that are coming in are adding to the culture.”
Reading between the lines, it was apparent Harrison no longer saw Dončić as a culture fit, much more the face of it.
The explosive details later came out in an ESPN story that explained the fallout between the Mavericks front office and their former star.
Their relationship gradually disintegrated over time due to his habits on and off the court, which the ESPN report said was “well-known in league circles,” and the “poor communication” between Dončić’s “body team” and the team’s medical staff.
According to the ESPN story, a team source vented on why Dončić gained weight while playing 40 minutes a game. Dončić’s latest calf injury — his fourth in his NBA career — was the last straw that led to this blockbuster trade as the Mavericks are betting his body will break down faster because of his off-court habits.
Mavericks Made ‘Business Decision’
It made them hesitant to pay him the largest contract in NBA history — five years worth $345 million — this summer which Dončić is no longer eligible to sign with his new team.
“We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract,” Harrison told reporters. “And so we really felt like we got out in front of that.”
The ESPN story added the trade was a “business decision”to new Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, who trusted Harrison’s vision to win and create long-term flexibility for the franchise.
When asked if he gave the Mavericks any indication that he wouldn’t sign long-term, Dončić shook his head.
“Absolutely not,” he told the media scrum that packed the Lakers practice facility.
Motivated Luka Dončić
Dončić said in his farewell letter to the Mavericks fans, he thought he’d spend his entire career there like Dirk Nowitzki. He was scheduled to close on a new home in Dallas he had just chosen by month’s end, his business manager Lara Beth Seager told NBA insider Marc Stein which was enough proof that he wasn’t thinking about going anywhere.
But the Maverick coldly shipped him in the dark away from Dallas he thought was his long-term home.
Dončić is obviously hurting. But he’d rather let his game do the talking for him than throw foul-mouthed words to his former employer.
“Obviously yeah [I’m motivated],” Dončić told reporters. “That’s to win a championship. You don’t come here for anything else than a championship. So, I have everything left to prove and the goal is to win the championship.”
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