The Dallas Mavericks stunned the sports world over the weekend when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst may be one of the few people who were not all that surprised.
Doncic was traded to the Lakers late Saturday night in exchange for Anthony Davis as part of a three-team deal. While most people assumed Doncic would sign a max contract extension with the Mavericks and remain their franchise cornerstone for years to come, the team obviously felt he was expendable.
Following the shocking trade, some of Windhorst’s old criticism of Doncic resurfaced. After the Mavericks lost their first three games of the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics last season, Windhorst torched Doncic for fouling out, becoming a defensive liability, and more.
“You’ve got a situation here where Luka is complaining about the officiating. They have begged him, they have talked with him, they have pleaded with him (to stop). He is costing his team because of how he treats the officials,” Windhorst said at the time. “He’s a brilliant player. He does so many things well. They are here because of how he did. His performance in this game is unacceptable and the reason why the Mavericks are not gonna win.”
Windy was right pic.twitter.com/kVI6cfgVgU
— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) February 2, 2025
Doncic battled through some injuries during the NBA Finals, so that may have been a factor in him looking a step slow on defense. He was his usual dominant self on the offensive end for much of the series, but the Celtics prevailed 4-1.
Windhorst’s criticism is noteworthy given what Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said about the blockbuster trade. Perhaps Windhorst’s observations about Doncic were a reflection of how some in Dallas felt about the five-time All-Star.
