“It’s Gonna Be Very Emotional”: Luka Dončić Returns to Dallas as a Visitor for the First Time Since Trade
Luka Dončić returns to Dallas as a Laker for the first time since the trade. Anthony Davis, Jason Kidd, and Dončić reflect ahead of the emotional showdown.
Luka Dončić is coming home — just not in the same uniform.
For over six seasons, Dončić thrilled Dallas Mavericks fans with no-look passes, deep step-back threes, and nightly magic that turned American Airlines Center into one of the NBA’s most electric arenas. He earned five All-NBA First Team selections, carried the Mavericks to multiple Western Conference Finals and an NBA Finals appearance, and became the face of a franchise and a city.
On Wednesday night, Dončić will return to the court where he built that legacy — this time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Of course, there’s gonna be a lot of emotion for me,” Dončić said Tuesday. “I don’t even know what to expect. I don’t know what I’m gonna feel, honestly. I’m looking forward to being back in Dallas, obviously — with the fans, seeing my teammates, ex-teammates. It’s gonna be very emotional for me, for sure.”
The moment marks a rare NBA scene: a superstar playing in front of a crowd that still reveres him, for a franchise he helped elevate, in a city that never got a proper goodbye — one many felt should never have been necessary in the first place. Many had hoped Dončić would spend his entire career with one team, earning the same championship, jersey retirement, and statue that Dirk Nowitzki received.
Instead, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison agreed to a trade that was so shocking, many around the world thought it was fake. The deal sent away Dončić to the Lakers in the middle of the night without warning as he was nearing a return from a left calf strain he suffered on Christmas Day. Ever since, Dallas has had to navigate a self-inflicted chaos just one season after Dončić guided the team to the NBA Finals.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd — who guided Dončić through some of his most productive seasons — believes Dallas fans should be free to celebrate him. The organization does intend to play a tribute video and have giveaway shirts thanking Dončić weeks after a negative blitz of media leaks about the player they traded away.
“There’s no doubt that (the fans) have that right and they should cheer for him,” Kidd said. “He’s one that has entertained since his rookie year. I think it’s safe to say that they should cheer. But for us it’s about trying to find a way to win.”
Kidd expects emotions to run high — not just this time, but in every return Dončić makes.
“It is emotional, I think, anytime anybody is traded,” Kidd said. “So, coming back for the first time or even the second time or even the third time — because of the memories of being able to get to the Western Conference Finals or to be able to get to the Finals, or to be an All-Star — the things that he has done in a short amount of time is incredible. I don’t think it’s just this one time that it’ll be emotional. I think it’s going to be emotional for years to come. And I think that’s safe to say and it’s fair that the fans here have a right to cheer for him.”
Lakers Come In Battled-Tested, Still Emotional After OKC Loss
The Lakers arrive in Dallas coming off a 136-120 loss to the Thunder that quickly unraveled after Dončić was ejected with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter. He had just scored to give Los Angeles a brief lead and was assessed a second technical foul for what officials interpreted as hostile remarks toward referee J.T. Orr.
Dončić argued that the interaction was directed at a courtside fan.
“You can see it — that happened,” Dončić said. “But you know, I never got a fan ejected. Never. But if he's gonna talk, I'm gonna talk back, like always. So that had nothing to do with the ref, so I didn’t really understand.”
The Thunder outscored the Lakers by 17 after Dončić’s exit. LeBron James called the rest of the game “weird as hell,” and head coach JJ Redick admitted he was slow to call a timeout as momentum swung.
Still, Dončić praised the Lakers for choosing to compete through injury and fatigue.
“It was very important,” he said. “I think a lot of people were a little banged up, hurt, but we decided we’re all gonna play. We’re still fighting for the best seed we can be. I was really proud of every one of them.”
The Lakers, now 48-32 and 16-10 with Dončić in uniform, need two more wins to secure the No. 3 seed in the West. Facing Dallas in Los Angeles helped Dončić start the emotional process. But this return feels different.
“Yeah, I mean, honestly, I don’t know about closure,” Dončić said. “It’s obviously a lot. But like I said, I’m excited to be back here. I know the fans are gonna appreciate me being back. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m gonna feel, but I’m just excited to be back.”
Dončić has felt welcomed by the Lakers as he continued to adjust to such a shocking change. He’s leaned on his new teammates during the transition.
“Since the first day or second day, we kind of bonded,” he said. “Everybody’s just great people, and we just—how do I say—came together as a team. I think you can see that a lot of times on the court. Just a great group of guys. It’s my new team, so obviously we’re going for the win tomorrow. But I think they understand it’s gonna be a lot of emotions for me.”
For the Lakers, the mission remains the same: get a victory to maintain the third-ranked spot in the Western Conference standings. Dončić has felt welcomed by the Lakers as he continued to adjust to such a shocking change.
Davis: “We’re Fighting for Something”
While Dončić has captured the storyline, Davis has centered the Mavericks internally. He’s averaging 20.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in his first seven games with Dallas. After back-to-back blowout losses to the LA Clippers, Davis made it clear that Wednesday is about recalibrating and competing.
“We watched some film, figured out ways we can get better coming out of those two games — two disappointing games, honestly,” he said. “We didn’t defend, giving up 130-plus, that’s not our ball club. We’ll be pretty whole besides Kyrie coming back tomorrow, with the two bigs and myself. So we’re gonna try to get it tomorrow.”
Davis said he’s focused on leadership as the team regains health.
“The process is fun, the journey is fun,” he said. “It’s definitely tougher because it’s so late in the season and you don’t have much practice time. Guys are in and out of the lineup because of injury… For me, it’s about bringing leadership, identity here, helping the guys learn on the fly. Our practice time is during games, so I’m trying to be very vocal on both ends of the floor.”
Offensively, Davis said his mindset hasn’t changed — it’s about making the right play.
“It’s not about shooting the basketball every time or makes and misses — it’s about making the right read,” he said. “If they double, make the play out of the double team. If they go one-on-one, then either score or make the pass. I feel best when I’ve got my other guys going and I’m getting them involved.”
Defensive Matchups and Frontcourt Return
Wednesday’s rematch could look very different than the Lakers’ 107-99 win in Los Angeles on Feb. 25. In that game, Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II were all out, forcing Dallas to start 6-foot-7 Kessler Edwards at center.
That changes now.
“Just showing bodies,” Davis said. “Last time we had Kessler Edwards at the five. With them attacking the basket, getting into the paint, having me, Gaff, or both of us on the floor — it just makes the paint more crowded and harder to score in.”
Kidd emphasized that Dallas’ full frontcourt will be essential in this rematch.
“We’re going to need those two,” Kidd said of Davis and Gafford. “Not having AD and Gaff last time — offensively and defensively — hurt us. We’ve got to be able to protect the paint. The Lakers are playing great right now, so our defense will be tested. It’s good that we’re getting healthy and hopefully we can work on our continuity going forward.”
As for defending Dončić?
“He’s playing incredible — but that’s Luka,” Kidd said. “He’s one of the best players in the world. You have to show different defenses, but even that’s hard. He’s shooting the three, getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line, and setting the table for his teammates.”
“They’re all dangerous,” Kidd added. “That’s what makes him one of the best. His ability to find players, score, and set the tone. Especially when he gets you dancing — he has the advantage. We’ve got to make it tough on him and contest shots, knowing he’s going to score. He’s playing at a high level.”
Davis also emphasized the natural challenge of containing LeBron James — a player he competed alongside for over six seasons, including an NBA championship in 2020.
“He’s a great offensive talent,” Davis said. “He’s got a good cast around him, which makes him even more dangerous because of his ability to pass the basketball. So we’re just gonna make it tough for him, make him see bodies, play in the crowd.”
Kidd also noted the need to maintain composure amid the atmosphere.
“If [Dončić] scores, take the ball out and go the other way,” he said. “Fans have a right to cheer. They should appreciate what he’s done for this franchise in a short amount of time — and I think that’s right. But the focus for us is staying in the moment, focusing on what’s in front of us, and just playing the game.”
Injury Report and Roster News
The Mavericks will be without Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain), and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (right wrist surgery), as well as two-way players Brandon Williams, Kai Jones, and Kessler Edwards.
However, Danté Exum has been upgraded to questionable after fracturing his left hand on March 14. The Mavericks also plan to convert Williams’ deal to a standard NBA contract later this week after he reached the 50-game limit.
In the long term, the Mavericks face a challenging situation outlook with limited draft assets and Irving needing to recover from a torn ACL. For a team that is led by a front office that declared a focus on the “next three or four years,” the first two of this group have already been impacted by a significant injury to a star. With stars already in their 30s, it remains to be seen what Year 3 and Year 4 will look like. Throughout that period, Dallas must outcompete Dončić to reach its goals.
In the meantime, the focus is on Wednesday’s emotional matchup. The Lakers are not obligated to submit an injury report until 1 p.m. CST since they are playing on the second night of a back-to-back — adding some unpredictability about overall who will be suiting up in the Purple & Gold at the American Airlines Center.
Tipoff between the Mavericks and Lakers is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
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