Luka Doncic's life was flipped upside down in February.
The 26-year-old superstar was in a good spot with the Dallas Mavericks, as he not only was eight months removed from an improbable NBA Finals appearance, but was starting to take his on-court chemistry with Kyrie Irving to the next level.
However, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison didn’t feel the need to include Doncic in the franchise’s future plans, giving him an incentive to send him to the Lakers for Anthony Davis four days before last season’s trade deadline.
On Tuesday, Dallas made Harrison pay for his costly mistake, firing him 11 games into the season (3-8 record).
Two days later, Doncic sent a stern eight-word message to the Mavericks on a potential reunion with Harrison finally out of the picture.
“Right now, I’m just focused on the Lakers,” Doncic told reporters after the Lakers’ 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. “No further comments.”
Although the Lakers were on the wrong end of a 20+ point beatdown on Wednesday, they, unlike the Mavericks, are on the right track to start the 2025-26 campaign.
Los Angeles has weathered the storm early on with a roster that’s far from healthy and received remarkable contributions from its two active superstars, Doncic and Austin Reaves (LeBron James is out due to sciatica).
More importantly, the Lakers have a clear direction after landing Doncic. In contrast, the Mavericks have no idea where the post-Harrison era will take them, which should motivate Doncic to stay put for the foreseeable future.
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