Ex-NBA executive says Luka trade wasn’t a big secret in Lakers front office: ‘This wasn’t kept quiet’
The trade that sent Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this February surprised many people. Doncic had recently led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and seemed like the perfect player to build around at just 25 years old.
While many were caught off guard by the trade, Kirk Goldsberry, a former NBA executive and contributor for The Ringer, suggests that more people in L.A.’s front office were aware of the trade than some might believe.
Doncic has now been part of the Lakers for nearly a month. His time with the team so far has been a bit inconsistent. He didn’t get off to the best start in his new role.
In his first three games with the Lakers, Doncic struggled with his shooting and failed to score more than 16 points in any of those games. During that stretch, the Lakers went 1-2.
However, Doncic has recently found his rhythm. He dropped 32 points against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 22, a team that had been playing exceptionally well, and then recorded a 19-point triple-double against his former Mavericks team on Feb. 25.
He will look to continue his strong performances when the Lakers face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night. While Minnesota hasn’t quite lived up to expectations this season after reaching the 2024 Western Conference Finals, they are still in the playoff mix with a 32-27 record.
Doncic aims to help the Lakers secure their fourth consecutive win as they take on the current No. 7 seed in the conference.
Regardless of how many people in the Lakers knew about the trade beforehand, it’s clear that L.A. is thrilled to have Doncic on their roster.