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Luka Doncic was reportedly so upset by news that he was being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers that he was brought to tears. The tidbit about Doncic’s reaction to the trade comes from former NBA pro Chandler Parsons.
Over the weekend, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world when they traded 25-year-old five-time All-NBA first-team member Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 First Round pick.
While now-embattle Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison claims that Mavs head coach Jason Kidd was unaware of the trade before it happened, Parsons not only rebuffed that notion but also shared details of Doncic’s apparent gut reaction to the news.
“I’m also not buying that Jason Kidd just didn’t know. Luka Doncic just bought a $15M house, just closed like last week in Dallas. Apparently he cried when he found out. Jimmy Butler’s off the hook a little bit based on this move… You don’t just do this out of nowhere. They obviously see something that the average person doesn’t see.” former NBA player Chandler Parson’s said in FanDuel’s Run It Back.
“I’m also not buying that Jason Kidd just didn’t know. … Luka Doncic just bought a $15M house, just closed like last week in Dallas. Apparently he cried when he found out. … Jimmy Butler’s off the hook a little bit based on this move.” – @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/dJfBFUEyKJ
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 3, 2025
“I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship. The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home,” Doncic said in a statement released on social media on Sunday.
This season — in which he’s been limited to just 22 games due to injury — Doncic is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game.
For his career, Doncic has averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, making him and LeBron James the only two players in the history of the NBA to average at least 27 PPG, 7 RPG & 7 APG for their careers.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers are “optimistic” Doncic will be able to make his debut for the team in their game against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.