“It was terrible” – Luka Doncic opened up about shocking midseason Dallas Mavericks-to-Los Angeles Lakers move that changed his NBA journey

The Dallas Mavericks made the shocking midseason deal of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Slovenian athlete's pairing with NBA legend LeBron James stunned some fans, but many were thrilled as well. But at first he didn't feel that way. During the most recent episode of the podcast Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Luka openly shared his concerns about coming on board.

For context, the deal sent Markieff Morris, Doncic, and Maxi Kleber to Los Angeles in return for Max Christie, Anthony Davis, and a 2029 first-round selection. The Lakers made Doncic the focal point of their future right away, while the Mavericks turned their attention to rebuilding. He anchors the attack with LeBron James and leads the league in scoring as of February 2026.

Luka Doncic reflects on emotional Dallas Mavericks exit and challenging transition to Los Angeles Lakers

A question that many people would like to know was posed to Luka Doncic on the most recent episode of the podcast Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Vince Carter asked:

“We've all been traded. Yeah. And we're going through it. We go through the blues of being traded. What was the biggest adjustment for you transitioning, not even all that took place, but the transitioning now, waking up the next morning, not in Dallas, but in LA, waking up, not this teammate, these teammates..”

He continued:

“What was that like for you? Like cuz I know my first time it was just like, damn, I got this, the uniform is not blue anymore…”

Luka then said:

“For me, it was terrible. I'm sure. I mean, honestly, I thought I was going to be there my whole life. Uh, but obviously things change. So, it was hard like the first first month, like a routine, you're used to learning where to go, learning people like everything. I mean it's a lot to get in, you know. Uh but you know, one year after I feel I'm in a great place.”




The NBA world went into a spiral in February 2025 when the Dallas Mavericks dealt Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Having played in Dallas for seven seasons, Doncic was considered the team's pillar.

The agreement seemed seismic to supporters. And Doncic concurred, as he clarified on Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady's original series, Cousins, on AMP Sports. The experience of his trade from the Hawks to Dallas was very different from that. Doncic said:

“I kinda knew a little bit, but it wasn’t a big deal for me.. I didn’t know much about trades and that stuff and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to Dallas…’ I didn’t really know the cities that much. I knew Miami, LA because I’ve been to LA.”

The guard clarified that his experience playing basketball in Europe influenced his reaction to the incident. Doncic, who left Slovenia at the age of 13 to join Real Madrid, became used to fast change and high standards. He stated:

“I was always playing with older guys… That’s how I learned. You just adjust.”

Luka Doncic shares excitement of playing alongside LeBron James after joining Los Angeles Lakers

Doncic received a question in the same episode that many people would like to hear the answer to. What has life been like for the sportsman since he had the opportunity to play with NBA legend LeBron James. The Slovenian athlete stated:

“Honestly, just being part of his journey, you know, it has been amazing.”

He further revealed the real motivation behind Luka entering the league. It was a surreal moment for Luka when he first played against LeBron. He added:

“My first game against him was like a dream come true. So just being his teammate, it’s insane.”

Many people thought that LeBron and Luka's disparate basketball IQs would cause problems when Luka was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. But that didn't occur. LeBron requested that the Slovenian athlete be authentic. Luka did consent to the situation and acknowledged that he was anxious for his very first Lakers game.


Get the latest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 updates, including the full schedule, teams, live scores, points table, and key series stats such as top run-scorers and wicket-takers.