Jimmy Butler Says Initial Report of Luka Doncic’s Lakers Trade “Looked Fake”
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Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler admitted he was stunned when he first heard about Luka Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, calling the deal so unexpected that he assumed the report was a hoax.
Speaking to The National, Butler said he believed the social-media post announcing the move had to be the result of a hacked account. “I thought it was fake like everybody else,” he said. “When you use the word untradable, untouchable, you’d think Luka Doncic is one of those guys.”
Butler, sent from the Miami Heat to Golden State only days after the Doncic blockbuster, added that fans rarely learn the full back-story behind major NBA transactions. “There’s always more to it,” he noted. “Everybody else is always on the outside looking in, so you only know what you read. You don’t know what was really going on behind closed doors.”
Reports later indicated that Dallas Mavericks executives questioned Doncic’s conditioning and long-term leadership, concerns that prompted the franchise to move the 26-year-old star. The Lakers have embraced the four-time All-NBA guard as their new cornerstone and plan to construct their roster around him.
Doncic Shines at EuroBasket
While the NBA world continues to dissect the trade, Doncic has been dominating international play. The guard poured in 42 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to push Slovenia past Italy in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 round of 16. Slovenia now faces tournament favorite Germany in the quarterfinals after upsets eliminated Serbia and France.
Source: Lakers Nation</p
