The Luka Doncic trade brought an unprecedented level of backlash toward the Dallas Mavericks organization, and many critics found it tough to find anything comparable. Former NBA veteran Monta Ellis, however, claims to have endured a similar situation in his career, back when the Golden State Warriors traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks in the prime of his career.
“They’re taking the biggest risk of their life. Now I’m expendable because it ain’t a bigger contract. Like they can write that off on their taxes, but like they took a chance on me, and so I love Golden State, you know what I mean? They gave me my opportunity. The way it went down is what really hurt me or affected me,” said Ellis on the ‘Out the Mud’ podcast. “And it’s similar to what happened to Luka Doncic. That’s what that part of the business that you really don’t know nothing about unless you really be a part of it or if you just had somebody that was close to you that has been done to.”
Like Luka, Ellis was unknowingly traded out of a good situation to continue his career in foreign territory. With averages of 18.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, Ellis was a borderline All-Star in Milwaukee, but things were never the same after the Warriors traded him in 2012. Unlike Doncic, Monta harbors no ill feelings toward the Warriors and still looks back with appreciation for his time there.
“But I had my good days and I had my bad days. But I had more good days than I had bad days,” said Ellis. “And I’m always going to give them their flowers, their respect, and everything they have done for me and my family. So now, Golden State will always going to be in my heart.”
Luka Doncic was ready to commit his basketball future to the Mavericks before a shocking midnight trade ended his tenure there overnight. As a member of the Lakers now, Doncic is living under entirely different conditions, and it’s been a major adjustment.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Mavericks have been dishonoring Luka’s legacy with complaints about poor conditioning and work ethic during his time with the team. With a tendency to be out of shape and lazy on defense, the Mavericks exposed Luka’s flaws and used them as an excuse for trading him away.
Doncic felt hurt and betrayed by the whole ordeal, and it took him weeks to get over the pain of leaving his original team. To this day, fans still talk about the shock of the Luka trade and how unexpected it was for the Mavericks to turn their back on the franchise superstar.
In the case of Monta Ellis, trading him ended up being the right decision for the Warriors, as it paved the way for the rise of Stephen Curry, who won his first MVP just a few years later. Under Steph’s leadership, the Warriors built a dynasty that resulted in four championships over eight years.
The Mavericks are hopeful for a similar outcome with the Luka Doncic trade, but they still have so much work to do after a loss in the play-in tournament this spring. If they can’t find some momentum this season, critics will forever remember that Luka trade as the point where it all went wrong.
