Adam Silver's explicit take on Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to Lakers

The NBA Commissioner says the trade was a "kick in the a*s" to the former Mavericks star.

Feb 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

No one is quite over the Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers back in February. Even Doncic himself recently admitted in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he's not sure if he'll ever get closure from the trade.

But that trade has motivated Doncic to get into the best shape of his career, as he said he's lost about 35 pounds in preparation for the season. He's going to be on a mission to prove Nico Harrison wrong for trading him, and he already started that by being nominated for the best defensive player in the recent FIBA EuroBasket tournament.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was also featured in that interview, where he told the Wall Street Journal, “Putting aside the merits of the trade, you could argue that it was a bit of a kick in the ass to Luka. He didn’t try to sugarcoat this trade.

“Another player could have said, ‘Oh, now I’m part of the Los Angeles Lakers organization.' He didn’t try to hide his disappointment, and I think he was in a bit of a funk for a while, because it was probably the first true professional setback of his career. And I was hoping personally for him that he would ultimately see this as an opportunity to reset.”

Apr 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

READ MORE: Luka Doncic reveals lessons learned from Dirk Nowitzki on Mavericks

Luka Doncic Wasn't Sure How To React to Trade

Doncic said in that interview that he didn't know how to react to the trade, as he didn't want to upset his new fanbase, but he loved Dallas. He didn't want to play for any other franchise and would've happily signed an extension if the Mavericks offered it to him, despite Nico Harrison saying it wasn't guaranteed.

Those true colors were shown in his introductory press conference with the Lakers in February when he was very visibly distraught, and proven even further when he returned to the American Airlines Center to torch the Mavs for 45 points, as he was crying on the bench while they played a tribute video. As Commissioner Silver said, this is the first true adversity he's faced in his career, and he's attacking in in the best way possible.

READ MORE: Luka Doncic, like many Mavericks fans, unsure if he'll get closure from Lakers trade

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