The Luka Doncic trade that sent the Slovenian star to the Los Angeles Lakers shook the entire NBA world. One of the best players in the league was headed to the biggest market. It was an earth-shattering trade that completely flipped the landscape of the NBA, even if the results didn't show yet.
However, one aspect that went under the radar by many is Doncic's demeanor after the trade. Before the trade, Doncic was adamant about staying in Dallas for a long time. It makes sense, then, that the star's vibes wouldn't be good after the trade, even if he was sent to the Lakers of all teams.
This preseason, though, it feels like Doncic is finally finding his smile again. After an electric preseason performance, the Lakers star was visibly back to usual chirpy and fun self. Even head coach JJ Redick took notice of the change in Doncic's attituude.
“He has an ability to do what I would call it, like, silly stuff, but still be locked in. It’s important to him that basketball is fun,” Redick said, per Dan Woike of The Athletic. “He’s at play. And that’s part of what makes him great.”
Lakers teammate Austin Reaves also noted that Doncic seemed more “at peace” with the trade now than he was before.
“I’m sure there was a million things going through his head,” Reaves said. “And that’s not saying that he wasn’t fun to be around. He was always, still joking, having fun. But you can tell that, he’s at peace with it. And he’s excited to go to war with us every night.”
The Lakers are now hoping to get the full Luka Doncic experience after a full offseason together. The Slovenian star was still excellent in Los Angeles (28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game), but his efficiency took a bit of a hit and his defense was worse than usual. Now, with a new look and an offseason to sort things out, Doncic is ready to take over.
