Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont defended the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, but not everyone within the organization agrees with his stance.
Speaking at a conference in Texas, Dumont justified the move by emphasizing long-term success over immediate reactions. “Tough decisions are never easy,” Dumont said. “Part of leadership is looking at risk, all the factors in a decision, being willing to act at that time, and look to the long term.”
The trade, which sent Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, shocked the NBA. Dumont maintained that Dallas made the deal to improve its roster.
“We had to decide how to get better. What can we do to improve our team?” Dumont said. “We looked at our trajectory during the season and realized that we did not get better.”
He pointed to the team’s new core, which features Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford. “That’s going to put fear into a lot of teams if we can get going,” Dumont added.
However, an anonymous Mavericks source was not convinced, calling out the team’s decision-making in comments to NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson.
“They really think we are all stupid,” the source said. “We watch the games too. He averaged 41 minutes a game in the playoffs last season, played 900 minutes in total. He averaged basically two steals a game. But didn’t play any defense though.”
The source argued that Dallas should have retooled around Doncic rather than moving him. “Besides having Kyrie, they weren’t going to match up against Boston well. So you make the moves they did in the offseason and try again,” the source added.
Doncic, a five-time All-NBA First Team selection, was not informed of the trade until after it was completed, according to Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison. Former NBA player Chandler Parsons later revealed that Doncic had purchased a $15 million home in Dallas just a week before the deal.
The 26-year-old was averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game for Dallas before the trade. Since joining the Lakers, he has posted 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8 assists per game.
While the Lakers (40-23, fourth in the West) have surged with Doncic, the Mavericks (33-34, 10th in the West) have struggled to find consistency.
