When the Dallas Mavericks traded their franchise superstar Luka Doncic, they blamed his poor conditioning and work ethic as the reason for moving on. In a recent chat with the New York Times, however, Grimes (who is now with the 76ers) debunked the claims that No. 77 has developed poor working habits.
“It’s just a narrative around him. Once a narrative gets thrown out there, everybody just runs with it,” Grimes said. “Whatever they’re saying, if he’s 270 (pounds) and he gets to the finals, let him be 270 then. It’s crazy.”
Grimes, 24, played for the Mavericks in 47 games this season, averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 46.3% shooting. He started in 12 games for the club before being traded in February as part of the trade for Caleb Martin.
Grimes didn’t play with Doncic for long, but he saw enough to recognize the Mavericks’ claims as nothing more than a false justification for trading him so early. According to Quentin, Luka was always in the gym and could be seen working on his game whenever Grimes went to practice or work out.
These claims directly contradict the statements made by Mavericks executives, that Doncic was showing concerning trends about staying in shape and perfecting his craft. According to Dallas, Luka did not add to the team’s competitive culture and he set the wrong kind of example for his teammates to follow.
These trends led the Mavericks to believe that Luka (26) was not worth committing a supermax contract to and it created a sense of urgency to trade him before he could force the team’s hand by making a formal trade request.
What the Mavericks didn’t realize was the level of backlash they’d receive for the Luka trade. With averages of 26.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game this season, there’s an argument to be made that Doncic is worth keeping around despite his flaws defensively.
Regarding his work ethic, we’ve already seen plenty of evidence to suggest that Doncic’s issues were oversold by the Mavericks. Besides the statements made by Grimes, Jason Kidd, and Luka’s dad, Sasa, his performance with the Lakers so far is proof that he’s in a good enough condition to play elite-level basketball.
In 10 games with the Purple and Gold, Luka is averaging 23.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game on 40% shooting. The Lakers have been red-hot since his arrival, going 9-2 to secure the second seed in the West.
Luka has been everything the Lakers expected and more. He’s giving it his all in every game and has adapted quickly to his new situation. Defensively, he’s playing at the highest level of his career right now after being motivated by the trade.
For now, it’s still too early for the Mavericks to make any conclusions on the Doncic trade, but there must be some level of remorse on their end seeing how it has all played out so far. Sadly, it’s too late for the Mavericks to take it back and now they have no choice but to live and accept the consequences of their shocking decision.
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