Lakers' Jeanie Buss: I Didn't Anticipate 'Global Impact' of Luka Doncic Trade

Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss wasn't fully aware of just how seismic the Luka Dončić trade would be.

"I didn't anticipate the global impact it would have," Buss revealed during an appearance on the Games With Names podcast. "I mean, I knew it was going to be a big story in the NBA but he really is a global superstar."

On Feb. 2, the Lakers acquired Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in a three-team deal with the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz while sending out a package headlined by Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick in return.

The move came as a shock to all players involved, especially the five-time All-Star who led Dallas to a 2024 NBA Finals appearance.

"You can imagine how surprised I was," Dončić said following the deal, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "I had to check if it was April 1. I didn't really believe it."

The swap generated plenty of attention, which made sense given the popularity of the Lakers as well as the star forward himself. Dončić owned the No. 8 top-selling jersey in the association during the first half of the 2024-25 season based on NBAStore.com sales.

The 26-year-old's debut with Los Angeles on Feb. 10 peaked at 2.55 million viewers and was up 42 percent compared with the average NBA game on ESPN during the 2023-24 season (via ESPN).

When Dončić and the Lakers faced off against the Mavericks on Feb. 25, the contest drew an average of 2.5 million viewers across TNT, truTV and Max while peaking at 2.9 million viewers.

It represented the NBA's most watched regular-season cable telecast for the 2024-25 season outside of opening night.

Dončić has averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game on 39.9/32.2/74.7 shooting splits in 12 appearances with the Lakers since the trade.

He's grown more comfortable as of late, scoring at least 30 points in three of his past four starts.