The second half of the 2024-25 season was a whirlwind for Luka Doncic, who was unexpectedly traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, a stunning move that still seems surreal.
It’s unprecedented for a team to trade a superstar who has yet to hit their prime, but making matters even more confusing is the fact Doncic never requested a trade. On the contrary, Doncic seemed intent on spending his entire career in Dallas so it was an emotional period for the Slovenian star.
The Lakers are hardly complaining about the deal, though, as they landed a top-five player in the league and someone who can be the face of the franchise following LeBron James’ looming retirement. Doncic seems tailor-made for Los Angeles as he’s got a showman’s personality mixed with a killer instinct on the basketball court.
It’s unfathomable that the Mavericks would give up on a global superstar like Doncic, but they have made it clear in the aftermath that they didn’t believe in him long-term. What was strange though was that the Lakers didn’t even have to give up both of their available first-round picks to get the deal done. They sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first to Dallas but were able to hold onto their 2031 first.
According to Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, the reason for that was because of the Lakers’ uncertainty that Doncic would commit to them long-term:
And when it came to the Mavericks-Lakers trade talks that led to the deal, league and team sources say Dončić’s uncertain long-term status was the primary reason the Lakers were able to avoid giving up their 2031 first-round pick in the deal (Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first went to Dallas).
While Davis is no slouch, trading him for a younger star in Doncic was a no-brainer for the Lakers even though the current roster wasn’t built with him in mind. And now they have a first-round pick at their disposal to further improve their roster this summer.
Doncic has already said he plans to be loyal to the Lakers just like he was to the Mavericks, although that ultimately remains to be seen of course.
Luka Doncic is extension-eligible this summer, and there are a variety of different routes he can go to maintain future flexibility and also maximize his potential earnings. With that being the case, reports indicate the Lakers are willing to offer Doncic whatever contract extension structure he wants.
