Mavericks' concern about Luka Doncic's conditioning led to Lakers trade

With a supermax extension on the way, Dallas didn't want to commit to Doncic long-term.

Jan 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball against Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers in one of the most shocking trades in NBA history on Saturday night/Sunday morning in a package that brings Anthony Davis and a future first-round pick to Dallas as part of a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz. Everyone's first question as soon as the trade was announced (and confirmed) was "WHY?"

ESPN's Tim MacMahon seems to have some information on that. He reported on Twitter/X, "The Mavs had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Doncic due to his constant conditioning issues and the looming commitment of another supermax contract extension this summer, sources told ESPN."

The Mavs had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Doncic due to his constant conditioning issues and the looming commitment of another supermax contract extension this summer, sources told ESPN.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 2, 2025

Doncic could've signed a five-year supermax extension worth north of $345 million this offseason, but that seems worth it for a megastar that made five All-NBA First-Teams in his first six seasons, dragged a bad roster to the 2022 Western Conference Finals, then went to the NBA Finals with an entirely different roster two years later. They built the entire team around what he does best this offseason and let him go just a few months into the season because of conditioning concerns. And traded him for a player who has met the 65-game NBA awards requirement just once in the last seven seasons.

READ MORE: BREAKING: Luka Doncic shockingly traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis

Luka Doncic's Recent Injury History

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic appears to suffer an injury during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Milwaukee Bucks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Doncic has been out since suffering a calf strain on Christmas Day against the Timberwolves, but that's just been the beginning of his injuries this season. He with a calf contusion in the preseason, while also battling knee, groin and wrist injuries.

He was also beat up throughout last year's run to the NBA Finals, getting pain injections before every game, leaving games with nearly every body part wrapped in ice or heat packs, and limping severely in every playoff round. His conditioning has been a concern for the last few years, but for the Mavericks to make this kind of move must mean it's pretty severe.

READ MORE: Ex-NBA Champion believes Kyrie Irving deserved All-Star nod over Steph Curry

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