Luka Doncic's Father Reacts to Unexpected Trade: 'Doesn't Deserve This'

Sasa Doncic said that Luka "absolutely doesn't deserve this" after sudden trade to Lakers.

Former Slovenian basketball player and coach Sasa Doncic watches his son Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (not pictured) during warmups before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets at the American Airlines Center. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks' top brass decided to shake up the NBA overnight by trading their superstar, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers for a trade package centered on Anthony Davis. They shocked everyone who makes up the widespread NBA landscape in the process, including those closest to Doncic.

Sasa Doncic, Luka's father, made an appearance on Slovenian television where he discussed the trade. Understandably, he thought his son deserved to be treated a different way by the organization, especially after leading them to the NBA Finals last season.

Here's everything Sasa had to say via Arena Sport Slovenia:

"I understand there comes a moment when you disagree with a certain philosophy. You don't like this or that player, all good, I get it. But I think that exactly this secrecy, or should I say from some individuals, maybe even hypocrisy, this hurts me personally. Because I think that Luka absolutely doesn't deserve this. Giving the fact that at least, as I know, sacrificed himself enormously and even all the stories now that someone is releasing that he wants to apologize for the things that they're doing. I feel like this is very unfair from some individuals because I know that Luka respected Dallas a lot. He respected the whole city, helped children. It was never a problem for him to go to hospitals and to orphanages and to all of these charity events. It wasn't even a problem last year since, I am saying again, one individual said he's not fit enough. That he played, I don't know, 100 games, practically 40 minutes with two or three players constantly on him. That he was beaten and you say such things about him. I feel that this is very unfair from certain individuals. You traded him, stand by your actions but don't look for excuses or alibis, that's it."

Saša Dončić, Luka's father, reacts to the trade on Slovenian television on a panel with my pal @iztok_franko.

More Luka Dončić trade coverage from me: https://t.co/KX8IBlV9lI https://t.co/FowsldWriH

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 2, 2025

Sasa is a former Slovenian basketball player and coach, where he won two titles and was named an All-Star six times in the Slovenian League. He's entitled to feel a certain type of way after the most shocking trade in NBA history that happened to involve his son as a centerpiece.

Although Luka was shocked too, he's moving forward and is ready to compete for championships with the Lakers.

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