When the Lakers were able to acquire star guard Luka Doncic from the Mavericks ahead of last month's NBA trade deadline, folks in Dallas did not say it directly, but they put it out through the media (via "anonymous sources") and in subtle public comments. The reason they were trading Doncic, it became clear, was that they did not think he was serious about conditioning.
Indeed, that had been a complaint for much of Doncic's career in Dallas, even as he earned five All-Star spots, a Rookie of the Year award and a Western Conference finals MVP, thanks to his performance leading the Mavs to last year's NBA Finals.
Doncic averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists in six-plus seasons with the Mavericks, which is not bad for a guy who apparently can't stay in shape.
As The Athletic reported after the trade, "Concern built, including with [general manager Nico] Harrison, that Doncic's body would break down possibly sooner than anyone would suspect. It eventually reached a point where Harrison felt he had to move on from someone who could still one day be a league MVP."
The Lakers willingly took on Doncic, even is he was a little soft in the middle. And Doncic has more than paid off, averaging 26.5 points, 8.8 reboudns and 8.0 assists in 16 games since he arrived in L.A. The Lakers are 11-5 in those games.
And, if you go back to the beginning of this season, it's clear that Doncic has worked himself into much better condition.
Evan Sidery, a contributor for Forbes, posted a pair of photos to Twitter/X on Friday that showed Doncic side-by-side, from Opening Night to his last outing with the Lakers. The difference was striking.
Luka Doncic's shocking mid-season trade from the Mavericks certainly appears to have motivated him physically.
A side-by-side comparison from opening night to his latest game with the Lakers shows a noticeable drop in weight. pic.twitter.com/7VV4pyxbhM
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) March 21, 2025
Sidery wrote: "Luka Doncic's shocking mid-season trade from the Mavericks certainly appears to have motivated him physically. A side-by-side comparison from opening night to his latest game with the Lakers shows a noticeable drop in weight."
Doncic, still managing an ankle injury, sat out the Lakers' last game, on Thursday night against the Bucks.
Related: Luka Doncic Trade to Lakers Will Cost Him a Fortune in Salary
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 7:50 PM.