OKLAHOMA CITY — Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic said he is concentrating solely on his current team after Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont dismissed president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday.
Speaking Wednesday night following the Lakers’ 121-92 defeat to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Doncic was asked about the executive who engineered the February trade that moved him from Dallas to Los Angeles.
“The city of Dallas, the fans, the players, they’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Doncic said. “I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn’t. So that will always be a special place for me. I will always call it home. But right now, I’m focused on the Lakers and trying to move on.”
Pressed on whether Harrison’s exit might open the door for a future return to the Mavericks, the five-time All-Star replied, “Right now, I’m just focused on the Lakers. No further comments.”
The trade and its aftermath
Harrison stunned the league in February by sending Doncic to Los Angeles in a package centered on Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. Forward Maxi Kleber, included by Dallas to balance salaries, also changed teams and reacted to Harrison’s firing earlier Wednesday. “It’s a fast business, man,” Kleber said. “Players, GMs, coaches, everybody. So, always got to be ready for the next move.”
Doncic’s résumé and current form
Drafted by Dallas and acquired from Atlanta on draft night in 2018, Doncic became Rookie of the Year, a five-time All-NBA choice, 2024 Western Conference finals MVP and a one-time scoring champion by age 25. With the Lakers this season, he opened with averages of 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists over his first seven games.
Rough night in Oklahoma City
Against Oklahoma City, Doncic finished with a season-low 19 points on 7-for-20 shooting, adding seven rebounds, seven assists and four turnovers. Los Angeles trailed by 30 at halftime, the largest mid-game deficit of Doncic’s eight-year career, and was outscored by 31 during his 33 minutes on the floor.
“Definitely wasn’t our best game,” he said. “They’re champions for a reason. I need to be way better than that and just got to figure it out.”
The Thunder improved to a league-best 12-1. The Lakers, now 8-4 and fifth in the Western Conference, are 1-2 on a five-game trip that concludes with back-to-backs in New Orleans and Milwaukee.
Source: ESPN
