Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss Explains Secrecy Behind Luka Doncic Deal
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Los Angeles Lakers controlling governor Jeanie Buss said the franchise kept its trade for Luka Doncic under tight wraps to prevent Dallas Mavericks figurehead Mark Cuban from intervening.
Speaking on the “Pretty Tough” podcast, Buss recounted how negotiations that eventually sent the Slovenian star to Los Angeles began in early January. According to Buss, the Mavericks opened talks by asking for Anthony Davis, and the Lakers feared that any leak would give Cuban enough time to derail the agreement.
“Rob Pelinka handled everything without it getting out to the media,” Buss said. “If Mark Cuban had heard, he might have jumped in front of a train to stop it.”
Buss added that neither Doncic, Davis nor LeBron James was informed during discussions. The Lakers were playing a road game in New York on the night the front office finalized details; only head coach Darvin Ham was briefed, and the team still won that contest.
Doncic has already reshaped the Lakers’ outlook. In his first full season, he guided Los Angeles to a 53-29 record and was on track for MVP consideration before an injury sidelined him. Buss called the 26-year-old guard the “perfect successor” to James, whose long-term plans remain undecided.
Cuban has since sold his majority stake in the Mavericks but maintains a role within the organization. Dallas, now building around rookie forward Cooper Flagg, was unable to prevent the departure of its former franchise cornerstone.
Buss credited Pelinka, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, for maintaining secrecy in an era when trade rumors often surface instantly. “It wasn’t a distraction,” she said of the covert approach. “We got it done.”
Source: LakersNation.com
