Lakers star Luka Doncic is in the middle of a critical offseason as he nears the start of his first full season in Los Angeles. Months after the trade that paired him with LeBron James, Doncic is doing whatever it takes to keep himself in shape and is using the words from his former team to help him push through his most transformative summer yet.
“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’s Dave McMenamin.
In the aftermath of their shocking decision, the Mavericks were looking for any reason to justify the trade and called out his work ethic and conditioning as the primary reasons for his departure. According to the Mavericks, Doncic struggled to stay in shape and hold himself up to a higher standard. Now, Luka is using those words to help inspire him to greatness.
Besides elite talent and a solid support system, Doncic will also have every resource available to help him reach new heights in his training and physical fitness journey.
“Doncic will also have a direct conduit to the Lakers’ coaching staff with him this summer. Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean will serve as an assistant coach with the Slovenian national team, sources told ESPN, as Doncic competes for his home country in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament.”
Like the rest of us, Doncic was blindsided by his trade to the Lakers. He thought he’d be in Dallas for a long time, especially after leading them to the NBA Finals in 2024. So it’s no surprise that he felt betrayed when the Mavs decided to send him to Los Angeles completely out of the blue. The betrayal increased tenfold when the Mavs blamed his character as part of the reason.
To this day, Doncic’s reputation has yet to recover, and it’s something he’s actively seeking to rectify. Sadly, even with averages of 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game last season, it wasn’t enough for Doncic to silence the haters.
The only way to prove them wrong and restore his reputation is to win it all with the Lakers while keeping himself in the best shape of his career. Thanks to the Mavericks’ harsh betrayal of Luka, he’s going to be playing with a chip on his shoulder and some added motivation to show that the Mavs made a huge mistake in letting him go.
Already, fans have noticed Doncic looking exceptionally slimmer, and he hasn’t even started playing in this year’s EuroBasket tournament. If he continues this trajectory, Doncic could be in store for a career-high season, and the Lakers will need every bit of it to challenge NBA elites such as the Thunder, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Rockets.
As for the Mavericks, Nico Harrison doesn’t yet have any regrets over making the trade, and he believes his team is primed for success in the years to come. But if Luka makes a run and proves that he’s capable of being a champion, it will forever make them look foolish for giving him up so easily.
