Lakers' Jeanie Buss Explains Why Luka Doncic Was 'Sad' After Surprise Mavs Trade

It's not a secret that Luka Dončić didn't want to leave the Dallas Mavericks, but Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss has offered her perspective on why the trade hit him so hard.

Appearing on a Slovenian radio show (h/t Reddit.com), Buss explained why Dončić was "sad" upon initially learning the Mavs traded him to Los Angeles:

"Nobody knew the trade was going to happen. I knew but Luka didn't know. I've never had a player come to the Lakers & be as sad as he was because the trade was a huge surprise to him, so he had to process it. I think now he's embraced the Lakers and he's all about LA."

After the trade went down, Dončić wrote in a letter posted on social media that he thought he would "spend my career" in Dallas, and he "so badly" wanted to win a championship for the organization.

The emotions hit Dončić again when he played his first game back in Dallas as a member of the Lakers on April 9. He was in tears when the Mavs played a tribute video prior to tipoff.

After drying his eyes, Dončić sent a loud message to the Mavericks front office for their decision by scoring 45 points in a 112-97 win for the Lakers.

Mavs fans made sure their feelings about the trade were heard. They protested outside of American Airlines Center and inside the arena during games would frequently chant "fire Nico" to general manager Nico Harrison.

Dončić appears to have embraced his new home in Los Angeles. He signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension on Aug. 2, tying him to the organization through at least the 2027-28 season.

The deal gives the Lakers the long-term building block they needed with LeBron James entering the final year of his contract and entering his age-41 season. They have made sure Dončić felt comfortable with the organization as soon as he arrived.

Now, the Lakers will be hoping Dončić can lead them to a championship in the near-future.