In the dark hours of February 2, the NBA world was rocked to its core with a shocking trade: Luka Doncic was being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Yes, Luka. Five first-team All-NBAs. One of the top five players in the league. An MVP candidate in past seasons. He had led his team to the NBA finals in the previous season. Having done all of this before he turned twenty-six.
The NBA world couldn’t muster the stomach to process what happened. In the days afterward, analysts debated the sanity of Nico Harrison, the Mavericks’ general manager. Many do not understand his reasoning. Some think the short-term plan was sensible; Anthony Davis could be a viable piece to a championship run. With so many good teams in the Western Conference, having a dominant big man could dictate how a playoff series could be won. The argument could be made. But a simple thing has been overlooked in the sports debate’s chaos.
All the higher-ups in the Lakers and Mavericks organizations stated that Luka had no idea this was coming. Take one look at his Lakers introductory press conference. Luka was still in shock, and that sentiment seemed to ring true. Of course, questions were asked about his state of mind and how he managed the events that had transpired. Luka took the high road. He never said anything that made it seem like he felt wronged, even though we all knew he felt different.
If you were Luka, how would you feel? How would you feel if the foundation you had built abruptly shattered? At that moment, how would you think? Sadness? Anger? Disappointed? All three?
To make matters worse, on top of getting rid of you, a narrative would be placed about you that would be as equaling as damaging. Luka was overweight. Luka had poor conditioning. Luka’s training team didn’t mesh with the Mavericks’ team. Luka didn’t fit the culture. As if the trade wasn’t enough, the Mavericks’ brass wanted to ensure Luka’s reputation also took a hit to validate their decision. Imagine being traded from one company to another and watching a PowerPoint presentation explaining how awful you were at the previous company. Ouch!
On the other hand, the Lakers are vying for the second seed in the Western Conference. After a slow start following the trade, Luka Doncic began to shape back into his former self. It could have been the low calf strain that sidelined him before the trade that was hampering him. It could have been that he had to uproot his life in a matter of days and accumulate to a new system. Or it could have been a combination of both.
Sports fans across the country often say that the players in the NBA have zero loyalty to their teams. Once the going gets tough, they leave. Gone are the days of Michael Jordan. Larry Bird. Kobe Bryant. No star player sticks around anymore. Stephen Curry seems like an anomaly. But this player planned to spend his career with one franchise. There was zero inkling that Luka would ever leave. He had just recently bought a home. He was entrenched in the city of Dallas. His charity foundation was synonymous with it. The fans loved Luka. Luka loved them. And then, in split seconds, he was gone.
And here’s another thing …. The Dallas Mavericks have not fared well since his departure. Anthony Davis was injured during his first game with the Mavericks, and the team dropped to the tenth seed in the Western Conference. Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending injury. To add insult to injury, the organization said it would increase ticket prices for the upcoming season. Someone should ask Klay Thompson if he regrets coming to Dallas.
On April 9, Luka will return to Dallas for the first time since the trade. His emotions will only be readily available to him. People can only assume what he will feel internally. The fans will most certainly cheer him and applaud him. Cameras will flood the arena, with many trying to get a snapshot of their once-revered star. Luka will take the high road, as he did when the Mavericks visited the Lakers weeks ago. He won’t say anything that would ruffle any feathers. But of course, the patent Luka stare-down will be there. The patent Luka yell will make an appearance. Once it’s over, it will be a sense of relief for him. And the Dallas fans may have some understanding of closure.
No matter what aisle of the Luka trade you fall on, everyone can agree that nobody would want that to happen to them. Nobody would like to feel unwanted. Nobody would wish for their livelihood to be up for grabs at a coffee shop or for their career to be gambled upon in some back alley. Nobody would want their reputation split like meat through a meat grinder.
Going to Los Angeles isn’t like being vanquished into some dark land, but it wasn’t Luka’s choice. And everyone wants to be in control of their own lives and their own decisions. There is a humanity in that. That is the thing lost in all the discussion following the trade. Yes, we can all debate each team’s future and if Luka is the player to lead a team to a championship.
There should be zero debate on whether we could see ourselves in Luka. We can only hope our foundations do not shatter, but if they do, we can only hope we manage it as well as Luka did.
