After losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the postseason, reporters asked Luka Doncic about his thoughts on the Feb. 2 blockbuster trade that saw the Dallas Mavericks trade the five-time All-Star to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Doncic, who was still stunned by the unexpected move, was unable to provide the media with the answer they were likely fishing for.
“I’m mentally kind of exhausted from everything that happened,” Doncic said on May. 1. “I know a lot of people won’t believe me, but I am. I think now it’s time to process everything.”
“I don’t know what I learned. Like I said, I think now is the time to process everything. Just emotionally, going through it all, looking back. I’ll let you know in the preseason what I learned about myself.”
However, now that more time has passed, the 26-year-old is in a different headspace regarding the monumental midseason deal.
“He’s (Doncic) moved on,” Doncic’s manager, Lara Beth Seager, told The Athletic’s Dan Woike on Tuesday.
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The Lakers should be ecstatic about Seager’s/Woike’s telling report.
Although Doncic’s ability to pick apart defenses with his cool, calm demeanor will always make him an offensive guru, it would have been challenging for him to flourish consistently if he were in a dark place mentally.
Now that Doncic has put the trade behind him and signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Lakers, he can solely focus on helping the organization capture its first championship since 2020.
It’s reasonable to assume that Mavericks fans will never forgive the franchise for cutting ties with their franchise point guard, but Doncic wisely refuses to hold the same grudge.
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