
Luka Doncic’s Startling Disclosure Regarding the End of His Mavericks Run…
The Dallas Mavericks made arguably the most head-scratching blockbuster trade in recent memory over the weekend when they shipped superstar point guard Luka Doncic, who led the team to the NBA Finals last season, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for power forward Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
The move was met with criticism from nearly every major NBA analyst and disgust from Mavericks fans, many of whom threatened to sell their season tickets and stop watching the team altogether.
Multiple reports indicate Dallas sold low on Doncic because of concerns about his weight and conditioning — he allegedly weighed as much as 270 pounds, though the NBA website lists him at 230 pounds — which is why the team parted ways with the five-time All-Star in an effort to retool and make another run at the NBA Finals this year.
And while Mavericks fans are likely still knee-deep in the grieving process, they won’t feel any better after reading what Doncic said about his future in Dallas before the trade went down.
“Luka Doncic said he planned on signing a $345M supermax extension with the Mavericks this upcoming offseason before being traded to the Lakers,” Forbes’ Evan Sidery reported. “Doncic had no plans of ever leaving Dallas anytime soon.”
Because of the trade, Doncic is no longer eligible to sign a supermax deal and can only sign a new deal worth 30% of the salary cap next season, but he will still cash-in wherever he signs.
“It seems likely that Doncic will sign a shorter extension this summer with a player option in 2028, which would allow him to re-sign after his 10th year of service in the summer of 2028 for the full 35% of the cap,” The Athletic’s John Hollinger wrote. “If so, that effectively gives the Lakers roughly $8 million in extra cap wiggle room in the summers of 2026 and 2027 relative to what they would have paid Davis … right as James is likely gliding off into retirement.”
Though he’s only played in 22 games this season due to a calf injury, Doncic was still one of the top players on the court when he was healthy. He averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game while playing 35.7 minutes per night.
Doncic hasn’t averaged below 27 points per game since his rookie year in 2018, and many feel he’s not even in his prime yet. In fact, he could just be in it when the Mavericks make the first-round pick they got back from the Lakers for Doncic.