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EL SEGUNDO, CA — The Los Angeles Lakers introduced new superstar Luka Doncic on Tuesday morning, but it was Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber who made strong statements after leaving the Dallas Mavericks.
Doncic's teammates, who came over from Dallas in the Anthony Davis trade, made sure to defend their teammate during the team's introductory press conferences.
Markieff Morris, Maxi Kleber defend Luka Doncic amid criticism
Luka Doncic has been the talk of the sports world since Saturday night, when the most shocking trade in NBA history went down. Doncic was traded alongside Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie, with Jalen Hood-Schifino heading to the Utah Jazz.
The trade caught everyone completely off guard and by surprise, with many even thinking ESPN's Shams Charania had his social media account hacked. Within 20 minutes, other NBA insiders confirmed ESPN's report.
Among the reasons the Mavs reportedly traded away the 25-year old Luka Doncic were concerns about his conditioning. The Slovenian superstar has dealt with a handful of calf issues over his young career, and a few outlets reported his fondness for alcohol.
On Tuesday morning, following Luka Doncic's introductory press conference at the Lakers practice facility, Markieff Morris made sure to shut down those criticisms.
“He’s a great guy, man,” Markieff Morris told ClutchPoints on Tuesday morning. “Super low maintenance. Don't need much. One of the only guys I’ve been on a team with that’ll play though any injury if he can get on the court. I hear stuff about him not being in shape, but if you can go in an NBA game and get 30, 15, and 10 like it's nothing, then I don’t know what shape is. I don't… I'm confused. You'll see it really soon. You'll make the suggestion of whether he's in shape or not.”
Markieff Morris on the negative reports about Luka Doncic since the trade:
“He’s a great guy. Super low maintenance… one of the only guys I’ve been on a team with that’ll play though any injury… I hear stuff about him not being in shape, but if you can go in an NBA game and… pic.twitter.com/vINzPggC3g
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) February 4, 2025
He wasn't the only teammate to come to Doncic's defense, as Maxi Kleber also had some things to say about the claims of his conditioning issues.
“I know Luka, so I know what's true or not,” Maxi Kleber added. “If you get to know him, and you guys will, you'll see how great of a person he is and how serious he takes his job and everything he does. With stuff like that and attention, I think there's always positive and negative things that come out. But, you know, he's a very good person, he's a very hard worker, he's a very great teammate. He's grown over the years and he's always pushed his teammates to become better. I have nothing but positive things to say about him.”
One outlet even reported that the new Lakers' star was eyeing 270 lbs after missing the last month due to a calf strain.
“The biggest thing, when talking to people around the league, was the concern about Luka’s conditioning. As we all know, and as has been reported, he’s gotten up to 270 pounds. The Dallas Mavericks were feeling like it could end up being a Joel Embiid-type situation.”
In just 22 games this season, Luka Doncic is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. The five-time NBA All-Star and 2023-24 scoring champion has been out since Christmas Day with a left calf strain, but is expected to participate in five-on-five portions of Lakers practice on Wednesday afternoon.
While no timetable for Doncic has been set yet, the guard is not far from a return.
