Dončić was drafted in 2018 by the Atlanta Hawks but was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young and a future first-round pick. 

The move was seen as a franchise-defining decision for Dallas, as they built their future around the young Slovenian star. Over the next six and a half seasons, Dončić established himself as one of the best players in franchise history and led the Mavericks to multiple playoff appearances.  

On February 1-2, 2025, reports surfaced that Dončić had been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The trade shocked the entire NBA world—not just because of Dončić’s status as the face of the Mavericks but as he himself had no idea it was coming.  

Dončić’s Reaction

The basketball superstar did not hide his surprise or disappointment at how the trade unfolded. Shortly after the news broke, Dončić posted an open letter to Mavericks fans on his social media accounts: 

"I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship,” he said. “I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home." 

His words struck a chord with Dallas fans, who were equally blindsided by the organization’s decision to move on from their generational talent.

In his first press conference as a Laker, he confirmed that he did not know that talks were happening between the two teams.

"I mean, everybody was surprised. So you can imagine how surprised I was. I was almost asleep when I got the call, so I had to check if it was April 1st," he said.

First Lakers vs. Mavericks Game Since the Trade

On February 25, 2025, the Lakers faced the Mavericks for the first time since the former Dallas star was traded to the Los Angeles-based team.

The Lakers defeated the Mavericks 107-99, with Dončić securing his first triple-double as a Laker with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists. 

From the opening moments, it was clear that this wasn’t just another regular-season game. Dončić admitted the game was “filled with a lot of emotions” for him and commented that it felt weird playing against his former teammates:

“It was a different game. Like I said, sometimes I don’t know what I was doing. I’m just glad it’s over, honestly,” he said in the post-game press conference.

Still, the Slovenian superstar managed to secure a win, leaving many questioning the Mavericks-Lakers trade even further, as the Mavericks seem to have lost a lot with their deal.