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Luka Doncic had his Los Angeles Lakers introductory press conference on Tuesday following the Dallas Mavericks' shocking decision to trade him away before the deadline. Doncic got painfully honest while speaking to reporters about the deal.
“Honestly it was hard, that first day was really hard,” Doncic said of the trade. “I felt like these last 48 hours was one month, like two days ago was one month ago. Emotionally it was really hard, but today was much better. I'm just really happy to be here… It's the Lakers, it's one of the best clubs in history, so I'm excited to be here.”
The move was shocking to say the least. Trading one of the best players at only 25 years old was not something that was certainly not expected. The trade left many players around the NBA surprised, including Luka Doncic.
“Everybody was surprised, so you can imagine how surprised I was,” Doncic said. He later added that he had to check that it was not April 1 to confirm the trade was not a joke.
“I didn't really believe it at first,” Luka continued. “It was a big shock, it was hard moments for me, it was home. It was really hard moments for me, especially the first day.”
Mavs general manager Nico Harrison has received no shortage of backlash from fans following the Luka Doncic trade. Sure, the Mavs acquired star forward Anthony Davis, and he is a great player, but Mavs fans are upset about the face of the franchise being traded. So how did Doncic feel about Harrison's decision?
“That's their decision so I have no comment… They made the decision, I don't know why. That's their decision so I can't do nothing about it.”
Did Doncic give the Mavs any indication that he would not sign a super-max contract during the upcoming offseason?
“Absolutely not,” Doncic said.
Luka Doncic preparing for next chapter with Lakers
Doncic made it clear that he was surprised. He is ready to start his next chapter with the Lakers, though.
As mentioned, Davis was also included in the trade. So how did he feel about the deal?
“I was shocked,” Davis told reporters on Tuesday during the Mavs' shoot-around before the team's game against the 76ers in Philadelphia, via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “I didn't know, I was actually at home, about to watch a movie with my wife and got the phone call. I had no idea… I was in shock, obviously. I had no idea that it was happening. Now I’m kind of over it and just getting ready to play with Dallas.”
Davis and Doncic are two of the better players in the NBA. As mentioned, Luka is in the conversation for best player right now when healthy. Meanwhile, AD features an MVP ceiling.
Luka Doncic will be missed in Dallas without question. He was many Mavs fans' favorite player. However, Davis is also a superstar and he is ready to help his new team moving forward.
