With the 2025-26 NBA season just weeks away, Orlando Magic assistant coach God Shammgod revealed that the trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers was a defining factor in his decision to leave the Dallas Mavericks. Speaking on the Come And Talk 2 Me podcast, Shammgod detailed how the blockbuster deal reshaped the organization and made his departure inevitable.
“The thing about Dallas was, it was just getting spooky times, man,” Shammgod said. “Where we come from, if you handle things the wrong way on the way out, things can get ugly. Things can get dark. The people that survive are the people that handle things accordingly. We might not agree, but if you handle things accordingly, we can always come back and be friends.”
Doncic, who had led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals the season prior, was dealt to the Lakers at the 2025 trade deadline in exchange for Anthony Davis. The move sent shockwaves through the league, ending Doncic’s tenure in Dallas after establishing himself as one of the NBA’s most dominant stars and a perennial MVP candidate. The deal paired him with LeBron James in Los Angeles, creating a star backcourt-frontcourt duo that immediately shifted the balance of power in the Western Conference.
For Shammgod, the handling of Doncic’s departure was the turning point.
“When the thing [Doncic trade] went down, it was one of those things, if someone treats your man like that, it’s a countdown,” he said.
Shammgod leaves Mavericks after Luka Doncic trade, joins Magic to help develop rising core
He also praised Doncic’s ability to elevate his game when the stakes were highest, placing him among the greatest competitors in basketball history.
“When the game was the biggest and the brightest, [Luka Doncic] was never a passenger,” Shammgod said. “He was always a driver. For me, it’s Jordan, Kobe, Luka when it comes to the ‘it’ factor.”
Following the trade, Shammgod chose to move on from Dallas and accepted an opportunity with the Orlando Magic, reuniting with head coach Jamahl Mosley, his former colleague with the Mavericks. Known for his elite ball-handling instruction and player development expertise, Shammgod will play a key role in guiding a young Orlando roster headlined by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and newly acquired sharpshooter Desmond Bane.
The Magic will open the 2025-26 season at the KIA Center on October 22 against the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, the Lakers will begin their campaign one night earlier, hosting the Golden State Warriors on October 21 at Crypto.com Arena in what will be Doncic’s first full regular-season in the purple and gold.
For Shammgod, leaving Dallas was a difficult but necessary choice after the departure of a player he viewed as central to the Mavericks’ identity. In Orlando, he steps into a rising situation with a franchise aiming to take the next step as a contender in the Eastern Conference.
