The Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world last season by trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie.
Nico Harrison, the man who traded Dončić to the Lakers, was fired by the Mavericks earlier this season.
NBA reporters Christian Clark and Dan Woike of The Athletic spoke to a Mavericks source who said that the Lakers got skinny Elvis Presley in the Dončić trade. Apparently, many people in Dallas believe the blockbuster trade helped save Dončić from his previous bad habits.
“The Mavericks traded Dončić, in part, because they believed his habits wouldn’t have changed if they awarded him a supermax contract in excess of $300 million. One team source likened him to Elvis Presley — and that the trade to the Lakers helped save him from those habits. ‘They (fans) got skinny Elvis,’ said the team source.
“Sources close to Dončić, though, point to that kind of thinking as a reason why things in Dallas ended in the first place. Instead, they believed Dončić was on a path to improving his diet and conditioning as he matured, regardless of any trade. Their focus, especially since the end of last season, has been on the future and not the past.”
Dončić lost weight last offseason and is putting up stellar numbers for the Lakers this season. Meanwhile, Davis has played in only 29 games with the Mavericks and is injured again.
The Lakers signed Dončić to a three-year extension last offseason. Dončić, who never wanted to leave the Mavericks, is expected to spend the rest of his NBA career with the Purple and Gold.
Dallas hosts Los Angeles on Saturday. It will be Dončić’s second game back at the American Airlines Center. The superstar put up 45 points in his first game back last season. He cried during his video tribute and got a standing ovation from Mavericks fans as he exited the game.
Saturday’s game between the Mavericks and Lakers shouldn’t be as emotional. After all, Harrison is gone and Dončić has fully moved on from the trade.
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