Mavericks ran smear campaign to justify Doncic trade, per The Athletic

Leaks questioned Doncic's weight and work ethic

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h1 min read

What happened: Dallas orchestrated an effort to discredit Luka Doncic to justify trading him to the Lakers in February 2025, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick. The reporting ties the franchise to the negative stories that followed Doncic to Los Angeles.

Why it matters: The allegation adds to the fallout from a trade that has already led to Mark Cuban's court fight with the franchise. Doncic has since reshaped his physique, landing on the

By the numbers: Lakers: 1-0, opened with a 125-117 win over the LA Clippers. Mavericks: 1-1, last won 121-105 at Indiana.

What to watch: Next is whether the Mavericks or former general manager Nico Harrison respond to the allegations, and whether Doncic's Lakers can build on their 1-0 start.

Sources

Yahoo NBA 2026-10-24T05:23:23.245229+00:00

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