The Dallas Mavericks Were Reportedly Frustrated with Luka Dončić's "Lack of Discipline"

In an unexpected move, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris. In return, Dallas got Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick while sending Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round pick to the Utah Jazz.

As expected, most Mavericks fans are in disbelief, struggling to understand why the team would get rid of their franchise player. So, why did Dallas decide to trade Luka Dončić?

Here's everything we know so far.

After the trade was announced, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison spoke with ESPN writer Tim MacMahon, explaining the team's unexpected decision to trade Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis.

"I believe that defense wins championships," he disclosed. "I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future."

Sources also told Tim that one of the main reasons for the trade was Luka's "constant conditioning concerns." The Mavericks had grown frustrated with his lack of discipline around diet and fitness, which they believed contributed to his persistent injury problems.

While Luka showed up relatively lean for camp, his weight reportedly shot up to the high 260s early in the 2024-25 NBA season.

He also missed five games in late November with a sprained wrist, a break that was partly to give him time to focus on his conditioning — something that also caused him to miss a few games early in the 2022-23 season.

Although Luka was set to receive a five-year, $345 million contract this summer, the trade has made him ineligible for a supermax deal, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

"We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract," Nico Harrison told the Dallas Morning News.

Nico added, "And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they've had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available."

To make things worse, the Mavericks didn't even give Luka a heads-up about the trade — he found out just like everyone else when the news broke. Talk about being blindsided, right?

Since then, Luka has pretty much cut ties with the entire Dallas organization, and honestly, who can blame him? He’d spent his entire career there, leading the team to playoff runs, only to be left in the dark about such a major move. Pretty crazy!

After the trade news broke, Luka issued his first public comments on Sunday, February 2. Reflecting on his time in Dallas, he wrote, "Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level. I thought I'd spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship."

He continued, "The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home."

"As I start the next part of my basketball journey, I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home," Luka added. "Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."