Luka Dončić says Lakers trade from Mavericks was "big shock": "I had to check if it was April 1st"
Luka Dončić said his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers came as a "big shock" as he spoke to reporters Tuesday.
Dončić, a 25-year-old Slovenian phenom, has played his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks until he was traded to the Purple and Gold on Saturday in a move that stunned the entire world of sports. During a news conference at the Lakers' El Segundo training facility Tuesday, Dončić said he was just as surprised as anyone else when he heard the news.
"I mean, everybody was surprised, so you can imagine how surprised I was. I was almost asleep when I got a call. I had to check if it was April 1st. I didn't really believe it at first," Dončić said. "It was a big shock. It was a hard moment for me. It was home."
He made his NBA debut with Dallas winning Rookie of the Year in the 2018-19 season and led the team to the NBA Finals last year.
"I thought I was going to be spend my whole career there," he told reporters Tuesday of time with the Mavericks.
He expressed how excited he was for his "new journey" with Los Angeles, joining the likes of NBA legends like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, both of whom he's looked up to since childhood.
"But this, for me, is a fresh start. I get to play in LA. The fans are amazing. And I got the ocean here, so it's a really big thing for me," Dončić said. "And getting to play for the Lakers — not everybody can say that."
Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka said the trade started off with a conversation between him and Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison before becoming official this past weekend, calling it "a seismic event in NBA history."
"And the reason I say that is because we have a 25-year-old global superstar that's gonna get on the stage of the most popular and influential basketball brand on the globe," Pelinka said.
The decision sent shockwaves through the league as star players like Steph Curry called it a "reminder" that even some of the league's biggest players aren't safe from being traded. Dončić took out a full-page ad in The Dallas Morning News thanking fans, saying he "wanted so badly" to bring the team an NBA championship win.
"For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home," he wrote. "In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed."
Despite Dončić's rampant success since joining the league, solidifying himself as one of the game's best all-time scorers even after just six full seasons and leading the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Dallas made what they said was a win-now decision by acquiring All-NBA big man Anthony Davis from the Lakers.
Head Coach JJ Redick once played alongside Dončić on the Mavericks, spending the last year of his NBA playing career on the Texas team before being named the Lakers' coach last year. Dončić said he and Redick had a "great relationship" during the single season they played together.
"I really respect him," he said. "You don't see me go on podcasts. I went on his podcast twice, so you know how much respect I have for him. So I'm really excited that I can play for him."
Already, at this point in his young career, Dončić is a five-time All-NBA First Team player who is averaging 28.6 points per game, which is good enough for third-best all-time. His 80 triple-doubles already rank him in the top 10 of all to ever play.
He joins a Lakers team that currently holds fifth place in the Western Conference about halfway through the season.
Though LeBron James will still largely be the face of the franchise, his playing days are nearing an end, meaning Dončić will be the Lakers' key player for some time following the trade. Pelinka said he brings some much-needed longevity to LA.
"It's a gift," Pelinka said. "We're talking about a 25-year-old that is Top 3 player in the universe. I can't think of a more amazing starting point to build a roster for the next decade."
"I know up here he might seem calm and casual and quiet," he said from the news conference. "But we know the alter ego comes out, and we'll see it at Crypto.com soon. And I can't wait for it."
