![\"Luka](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2212291156-e1746991737917.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780\")
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Perhaps one of the most significant moves in NBA history was when the Los Angeles Lakers traded Anthony Davis and more to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic.<\/p>\n
Doncic, who many consider a top-five player in the NBA, at worst, was unfortunately in the middle of all that after carrying a team to the NBA finals a season ago.<\/p>\n
With questions about whether Doncic is happy in Los Angeles, which might be unfair given he hasn\u2019t said anything that would suggest that, he admitted when speaking to reporters earlier in the week that he\u2019s exhausted from everything that happened.<\/p>\n
He added that it was a shocking trade, something he must learn from.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m mentally kind of exhausted from everything (specifically, the shocking trade to the Lakers) that happened,\u201d\u00a0Doncic told reporters. \u201cI know a lot of people won\u2019t believe me, but I am. I think now it\u2019s time to process everything.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what I learned. Like I said, I think now is the time to process everything. Just emotionally, going through it all, looking back. I\u2019ll let you know in the preseason what I learned about myself.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n From the Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 perspective, this was an easy trade to make. According to everything Nico Harrison said, the person who traded him by the Dallas Mavericks, it sounded like he didn\u2019t love Doncic.<\/p>\n Perhaps he had to stick up for whoever told him to make that decision, if it wasn\u2019t him. The last thing Harrison wants is to lose his job, but the comments were loud, and Doncic heard them.<\/p>\n That could also factor in his mental exhaustion, as he took plenty of hits from the media and his former team.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just sad the way he\u2019s talking right now,\u201d Doncic said of Harrison with\u00a0ESPN\u2019s Malika Andrews. \u201cI never say anything bad about him, and I just want to move on. The fans, my ex-teammates, I\u2019ll always keep at heart. It\u2019s time for me to move on from there.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI mean, it\u2019s painful, depending on how you take it,\u201d Doncic said. \u201cIt mostly came from Dallas, so I didn\u2019t want to talk back. But I don\u2019t really read that much stuff. I\u2019m just trying to focus on my journey.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The next step for the Los Angeles Lakers is to sign Doncic to a long-term extension. He could\u2019ve landed more money if he stayed with the Dallas Mavericks, but that wasn\u2019t his decision.<\/p>\n The Lakers were essentially gifted one of the best players in the NBA, and now have a bright future because of him.<\/p>\n Doncic isn\u2019t easy to build around, but if Los Angeles can add to its roster by signing or trading for athletic players who can defend at a high level and knock down shots, the Lakers should be a much better team than they were in 2024-25.<\/p>\n The Lakers had ups and downs, but their future looks much brighter now than it did without him months ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Perhaps one of the most significant moves in NBA history was when the Los Angeles Lakers traded Anthony Davis and more to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\nLuka Doncic Faced Mental Exhaustion<\/h2>\n
What\u2019s Next for Lakers and Luka Doncic?<\/h2>\n