Doncic receives support from Real Madrid after trade to the Lakers

By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net

Luka Doncic being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers has created unprecedented buzz, spreading from the NBA to the rest of the basketball world.

Adding to various reactions, his first professional team and home until moving his talents to the league based in North America in 2018, Real Madrid confirmed full support for the Slovenian superstar.

“Dear Luka Doncic, we wish you the best of luck and lots of success during his new stage of your career with the Los Angeles Lakers. During your NBA career so far you’ve shown that there are no limits for you. All madridistas are proud of you and we’ll be by your side during this new challenge,” was the message shared on social media by Los Blancos.

A few hours after officially announcing the trade, general manager Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd talked about the departure of Doncic in a press conference.

“I’ve reached out to him, and we’ve missed each other,” mentioned Kidd confirming a complete lack of communication between the player and the Mavs following the team’s decision to move him to the Lakers.

Harrison confirmed that Kidd wasn’t informed about the trade “until the 11th hour” and that he has also tried to contact Doncic, but got no answer to his text.

“My guess is he probably doesn’t want to talk to me”, Harrison said, implying also that the Mavs weren’t sure about giving Doncic a supermax contract.

As he explained: “There are some unique things about his contract that we had to pay attention to. He was going to be able to make his own decision at some point about whether he wanted to be here or not. Whether we want to supermax him or not, or whether he wants to opt-out. So I think we had to take all that into consideration, and I feel like we got out in front of what could have been a tumultuous summer.”

Lakers welcoming Doncic

On the other side, the Los Angeles Lakers found the heir of LeBron James and the new face of their franchise.

Per the official press release: “The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired five-time First Team All-NBA guard Luka Dončić, forward/center Maxi Kleber and forward/center Markieff Morris from the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team trade. In return, the Lakers sent forward Anthony Davis, guard Max Christie and a future first round draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks, while guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and a future second round pick were sent to the Utah Jazz.

“We are overwhelmingly thankful for AD’s six seasons with the Lakers, where he led our franchise to a championship and cemented himself as a perennial NBA All-Star,” said Lakers General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka. “We are proud of Max Christie’s development as a Laker as he has grown into an impact 3-and-D player and we are appreciative of the work Jalen Hood-Schifino has put in to show professionalism at every level. Sports are about transformative moments. We are inspired by these moments Lakers fans know, expect and love with a franchise that continually ushers in new eras of greatness.”

“Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come,” continued Pelinka. “His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team. We will be relentless in building a roster around the on-court vision Coach Redick has for this basketball team and there is an unwavering commitment to that work to serve our loyal and dedicated fans. We are grateful for today and look forward to what’s next.”

Dončić is one of three players in league history to garner five All-NBA First Team selections before age 26, joining Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan. The 25-year-old has tallied 12,089 points, 3,655 rebounds and 3,489 assists and is one of two players in NBA history to record at least 10,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists through their first 400 career games (Oscar Robertson). Dončić became the first Maverick to claim an NBA scoring title after averaging 33.9 points during the 2023-24 campaign. That season on Jan. 26, Dončić scored a franchise-record 73 points versus the Atlanta Hawks, which tied for the fourth-most in NBA history. He currently stands second all-time in triple-doubles by players aged 25 or younger with 80, trailing only Oscar Robertson (117).

This season, Dončić has appeared in 22 games (all starts), averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals in 35.7 minutes. In 422 career NBA regular season games (all starts) across seven campaigns with Dallas (2018-25), Dončić has averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 34.9 minutes. Dončić’s career points per game average in the regular season is the third highest in NBA history. In 50 career playoff games (all starts), he’s averaged 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 38.9 minutes with an NBA Finals appearance in 2024. The five-time NBA All-Star ranks second all-time in playoff scoring average and tied-sixth in postseason triple-doubles (10). The Slovenian was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft prior to being traded to Dallas to begin his NBA career. Dončić went on to win the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year award after averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.2 minutes.

Kleber appeared in 34 games (four starts) for Dallas this season, averaging 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 18.7 minutes. In 440 career regular season games (151 starts) across eight campaigns with the Mavericks (2017-25), the 33-year-old has averaged 6.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 22.3 minutes. In 44 career NBA playoff contests (10 starts), he’s averaged 6.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.2 minutes. A native of Germany, Kleber went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft before signing with Dallas prior to the 2017-18 season.

Morris suited up in seven contests for Dallas this season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.9 minutes. In 783 career outings (379 starts) across 14 campaigns with Dallas (2023-25), Brooklyn (2022-23), Miami (2021-22), Los Angeles Lakers (2020-21), Detroit (2019-20), Oklahoma City (2018-19), Washington (2016-19) and Phoenix (2011-16), the 35-year-old has averaged 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 23.4 minutes. In 51 career NBA playoff games (22 starts) with the Wizards, Thunder, Lakers, Heat and Mavericks, the Pennsylvania native has averaged 7.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20.6 minutes. The University of Kansas product (2008-11) was drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

In 42 appearances (all starts) for the Lakers this season, Davis averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks in 34.3 minutes. In 778 career regular season NBA contests (771 starts) across 13 seasons with Los Angeles (2019-25) and New Orleans (2012-19), the 31-year-old has averaged 24.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks in 34.5 minutes. Davis helped guide Los Angeles to the NBA championship in 2020 and earned four All-Star selections as a member of the Purple and Gold. The four-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection is one of eight players in NBA history to win an NBA Championship, an NCAA Championship and an Olympic gold medal.

In 46 outings (25 starts) for Los Angeles this season, Christie averaged 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 25.1 minutes. In 154 career regular season NBA games (35 starts), the 21-year-old holds career averages of 5.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 16.9 minutes. Christie was selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Lakers.

Hood-Schifino suited up in 23 contests over the past two seasons with the Purple and Gold. He was drafted by the Lakers with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft”.

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