Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was sent from the Dallas Mavericks to L.A. at last season’s trade deadline, a move that stunned players and executives across the NBA. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said the deal served as a wake-up call about job security in the league.
Speaking with reporter Harris Stavrou of SPORT24 on Sept. 23, 2025, Antetokounmpo described his immediate reaction when he heard the news. “I was having my treatment, when a friend told me Doncic became a Laker. I was shocked. … If Luka is traded, everybody can be traded. He took his team in the Finals. And it’s Luka Doncic. He is 26,” he said.
Doncic had led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals less than a year before the trade. The Mavericks’ decision to move their homegrown star sparked league-wide disbelief, to the point that some observers initially questioned the legitimacy of the breaking report.
The Lakers, widely viewed as having pulled off a major coup, will open the 2025-26 season on Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors. The matchup marks Doncic’s first full campaign in Los Angeles after a summer in which the 26-year-old trimmed down and delivered a standout EuroBasket performance for Slovenia.
Los Angeles enters the new season following a first-round playoff exit last spring. Internal expectations are that the roster, bolstered by Doncic’s offseason conditioning, has taken a modest step forward.
Source: Lakers Nation
