The basketball world was shocked earlier this month when the Dallas Mavericks traded star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
Not only was the trade head-scratching, but it came out of nowhere. ESPN’s Shams Charania announced the deal shortly after midnight on February 2.
Since then, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has faced no shortage of criticism for the trade itself and for handling its aftermath.
Tuesday night in Los Angeles, Doncic and the Lakers took on the Mavericks in the five-time All-NBA First Teamer’s first game against his former team.
The Lakers came away with a 107-99 victory as Doncic scored 19 points, hauled in 15 rebounds, and dished out 12 assists to record his 81st career triple-double.
After the victory, Doncic reflected on how it felt to face the Mavericks for the first time in his career.
“It was just a lot of emotions and not much sleep,” Doncic said via ESPN. “I’m just glad it’s over, honestly,” he added.
In his five games with the Lakers, Doncic has taken a bit to get adjusted to his new team. He’s averaging 19 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists per game. The scoring average is well below his career average of 28.5 points per game, but he’ll start scoring more as he grows more familiar and comfortable in the offense.
While Tuesday marked Doncic’s first game against his old team, his return to Dallas will come on April 9, the final week of the regular season.
