Report: Mavs Wanted Luka Doncic to Use Injury Time Off to Improve Conditioning

As more details continue to leak out about the Dallas Mavericks' stunning decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, one constant remains—the team was concerned with Dončić's conditioning and diet habits.

According to Christian Clark, Mike Vorkunov and Fred Katz of The Athletic, "In November, Dončić missed five games with what the Mavericks announced as a right wrist sprain. That injury classification was not entirely true. In reality, Dončić was supposed to use time off to improve his conditioning, team sources said."

It was perhaps one of the straws that broke the camel's back. Per that report, "concern built, including with [general manager Nico] Harrison, that Dončić’s body would break down possibly sooner than anyone would suspect. It eventually reached a point where Harrison felt he had to move on from someone who could still one day be a league MVP."

So, instead of facing the possibility of either signing Dončić to a $345 million supermax extension this upcoming summer or earn his ire when they didn't put that offer on the table—and according to The Athletic, they never intended to make him that offer—the Mavs instead traded one of the most popular players in franchise history to the Lakers.

It is basically unheard of that a 25-year-old superstar, who had just led his team to the NBA Finals and is already a five-time All-Star and five-time first-team All-NBA selection, is traded. But Harrison and the Mavericks apparently didn't think Dončić was the right culture fit for their organization going forward.

If he thrives in Los Angeles and the Mavericks don't win anything with the pairing of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, however, it will potentially be remembered as one of the worst trades in NBA history.