Latest Luka Doncic feature proves Nico Harrison's costly Mavericks mistake

When Nico Harrison decided to trade superstar Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, it sent shockwaves throughout the NBA. Doncic never wanted to leave Dallas, never asked out, and was beloved by the fanbase. To trade in the middle of the night with no warning, getting fleeced in the process, was an abominable decision.

It didn't help that the Mavericks consistently bashed Doncic at every opportunity on his way out the door, with numerous reports surfacing about how displeased they were with Doncic's conditioning and care of his body. His calf strain on Christmas Day was the final straw, as they couldn't come to an agreement on how he should recover.

Apr 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Everyone knew the trade would be the ultimate motivation for Doncic. Someone who is wired like him and can find motivation in the smallest things was going to take this disrespect and make them suffer for it. And, so far, it seems like Doncic is taking things seriously.

Doncic was on the cover of the latest Men's Health Magazine with the caption "Luka Doncic Muscles Up. The Skinny on the Lakers Star's Summer Shred."

Luka Donćič is Men's Health magazine cover model for Summer Special edition!

Articles here:
1: https://t.co/o4LysTANqq

2: https://t.co/tMYm1fJHAx

3: https://t.co/eBVVFi3LAn pic.twitter.com/gUroF2TBzv
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) July 28, 2025

The articles detail a few things Doncic has done to get in better shape, including immediately improving his diet. The Lakers' season ended on April 30th in the playoffs, and by May 5th, he was in Slovenia getting in shape, fasting from 8:30 p.m. to noon every day.

They detailed his offseason training regimen, where they found a way to keep a basketball out of his hands for a month. When he finally picked up a basketball for his first hour-long workout, he felt better than ever.

It helps that Doncic was able to recover from injuries this offseason, something he wasn't able to do last year after the NBA Finals and going straight into Olympic qualifiers. With the new-look Doncic, he should be the frontrunner for MVP, assuming he can stay healthy.

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