The way the Dallas Mavericks treated Luka Doncic as they kicked him out the door was shocking to a lot of people. A trade in the middle of the night to the Los Angeles Lakers, a trade that was lacking in value and that Doncic didn't want, that was followed by constant slander and leaked hit pieces coming out of the Mavericks' front office.
Five First-Team All-NBA appearances in his first six seasons, a Western Conference Finals appearance, and an NBA Finals appearance still weren't enough. Nico Harrison said, "Goodbye! Oh, and you're fat, slow, and out of shape, too!" At least, if you read between the lines.
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Apr 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Doncic saw all of that slander, every word said about him. And he sat on it. As he enters this offseason, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that Doncic is locked in on improving on all of the things the Mavericks said about him.
"Additionally, Doncic remains motivated by how the Dallas Mavericks treated him in the aftermath of the trade and how the Lakers' season ended, and has committed to an offseason training and nutrition program, sources told ESPN."
Mavericks fans have heard that before, and the weight/body shape watching over an offseason drove Mavericks fans crazy. But there is reason to believe he's taking it seriously this offseason.
Doncic has always been one to be motivated by trash talk, and some of this trash talk in games has gone viral. He's an on-court killer, but off-court, he's needed a little extra push. There's no doubt this could be the push he needs to show up in the best shape of his career. Getting healthy will help, too, as he's dealt with a few injuries dating back to the end of the 2023-24 season.
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