It's not every day that the NBA commissioner says a trade was a “kick in the a–,” but that's exactly what Adam Silver said regarding the Dallas Mavericks' highly controversial Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Silver, who has been the subject of a conspiracy theory in which he allegedly ordered the Doncic trade to improve the uber-popular Lakers, commented on the trade back then that he was surprised and empathized with outraged Mavericks fans, although he did give fans hope, saying that only “time will tell whether it was a smart trade.”
In a Wall Street Journal article titled ‘Welcome to the Luka Doncic Revenge Tour‘, Silver gave some interesting comments on the trade, more than seven months removed from it.
“Putting aside the merits of the trade, you could argue that it was a bit of a kick in the ass to Luka,” Silver said. “He didn’t try to sugarcoat this trade.”
Silver explained that Doncic responded just as he had hoped: motivated.
“Another player could have said, ‘Oh, now I’m part of the Los Angeles Lakers organization,'” Silver said. “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.”
Doncic, who was blindsided by the trade, expressed sadness over his departure from Dallas, for which he had played since being drafted third overall in 2018. In six full seasons with the Mavericks, Doncic earned five consecutive All-NBA first-team selections, was the 2019 Rookie of the Year, and led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024.
Mavs president and general manager Nico Harrison, though, reportedly had deep concerns about Doncic's work ethic, off-the-court habits, and growing influence in the organization. This led Harrison to not only trade Doncic, but also oust several perceived ‘pro-Luka' members of the organization before and after the deal.
While Doncic struggled initially with the Lakers, he and his new team eventually found a groove; he averaged 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists while the Lakers rose to third in the West. Unfortunately, injuries and a lack of size in the middle cost L.A. greatly in the playoffs, from which the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated them in a five-game first round.
The Lakers and Mavericks are set to meet four times in the 2025-26 season, as well as once in the preseason.
