The reaction has flooded after Dallas Maverick’s shocked the NBA world by trading superstar Luka Doncic for Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic’s father, SASA, is not too pleased with his now-earlier team’s treatment of his son.
The oldest Doncic performed with Arena Sport Slovenija, where he called Mavericks’ treatment of Luka “very unreasonable,” and said the trade “hurt me personally.”
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Dallas Maverick’s guard Luka Doncic talks with her father Sasa Doncic before the game against Washington Wizards in the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron -usa Today Sports)
“I understand that there is a moment when you disagree with a particular philosophy,” said Sasa at Slovenian, who was translated by Arena Sport Slovenija. “You don’t like this or that plays, all well, I get it. But I think that this particular secrecy, or should I say from some individuals, maybe even hypocrisy, this personally hurts me.
“Because I think Luka definitely doesn’t deserve this. To give the fact that at least that I know sacrificed huge and even all the stories now that someone releases that he will apologize the things they are doing .
Some of the “unreasonable” treatment SASA is discussing could be a report from ESPN that said Mavericks was concerned about Doncic’s conditioning, which could prevent the 25-year-old that reached its full potential.
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And with the trade, Luka no longer qualifies for a supermax expansion of $ 323 million, although Lakers could give him an expansion of $ 230 million.
Luka has not seen an NBA floor since Christmas as he has been dealing with a strained left calf he suffered on the holidays. League leader in points per Fight last season was an average of 28.1 points before the injury.
However, the deal was shocking, even with the Lakers star Anthony Davis, who was involved in the package due to Luke’s young age, combined with his results, including leading a Mavericks team to the NBA final last season. He is a five-time all-star and won the Western Conference Finals MVP during this title race last year, which eventually came short to Boston Celtics.
Maverick’s guard Luka Doncic looks after a bad call during the NBA Finals game against Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 12, 2024. (Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
SASA discussed these conditioning problems and dismissed them after seeing what his son did in the 2023-24 season.
“It wasn’t even a problem last year, I say again, someone said he’s not suitable enough,” Sasa explained. “That he played, I don’t know, 100 games, practically 40 minutes with two or three players constantly on him. That he was beaten and you say such things about him. I feel that this is very unfair from certain individuals. You traded him, stand by your actions, but don’t look for excuses or alibi, that’s it.
While GM Nico Harrison explained his decision after the trade, which was first assumed to be false, became official, the team faced the setback from his fanbase to send the franchise’s face.
A group of fans were even spotted to have a symbolic funeral outside the American Airlines Center on Sunday, where a baby blue coffin was brought in and killed with Doncic jerseys, fan art, t-shirts and more.
SASA Doncic looks at his son, Dallas Maverick’s guard Luka Doncic, during warm -ups before the Denver Nuggets game at the American Airlines Center. (Jerome Miron -usa Today Sports)
Harrison’s explanation was that the trade “would make us better” while we also sold that the move “sets us up to win not only now but in the future.”
Dallas is currently ninth at the western conference with a 26-24 record after being blown up by Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday, 144-101. Davis, who was not yet with the team, and Kyrie Irving was not on the floor of Mavericks.
