Los Angeles Lakers president and controlling owner Jeanie Buss spoke candidly about the team’s recent acquisition of five-time All-Star Luka Dončić ahead of LA’s 111-102 Thursday Night win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. She talked about the ramifications the team would’ve faced if the trade had not been completed.
“It was really important to me that we didn’t blow up the team,” Buss told ESPN. “If it had leaked out and the trade hadn’t happened, that would be really unfair to the progress that the coaching staff had made with the team. Because it’s a huge distraction.”
Join us in wishing Luka Dončić of the @Lakers a HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY! #NBABDAY pic.twitter.com/nQa7DJ65KK
— NBA (@NBA) February 28, 2025
“The trade deadline is part of the business. It increases the level of stress for everybody,” she continued. “And I’m really proud that it didn’t leak out and that we were able to execute the trade in a way that still was surprising to all the parties involved. But that goes with this business.”
In early February, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a three-team trade that sent forward Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić. In the deal, LA received Dončić, Max Kleber, and Markieff Morris, while Dallas landed Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. To make the trade viable, the Utah Jazz were also involved in the deal. They received Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“There’s always this concern there’s going to be some new ruling that, like, now what’s going to happen?” Buss explained when discussing the potential backlash the Lakers could receive from the league. “But what I have complete confidence in Rob [Pelinka] is that he knows how to walk a deal through step-by-step to make sure that everything is complete and buttoned-up, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Jeanie Buss said her goal is to make her father proud.
I asked her if the Luka trade would’ve made him proud.
“He’d be very proud,” she said. “When you get a player of that stature you have to give up a lot. My dad was such a great poker player and he always wanted me to…
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) February 28, 2025
Despite some scoring issues, Dončić said that he is thrilled to be a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s amazing,” he told The Athletic. “I think the atmosphere has been amazing. Even when I’m playing bad — I don’t think I’ve had a good game here yet — but every time I check in, they cheer for me. So this is an unbelievable feeling to be here.”
Since Dončić joined the team, Los Angeles has gone 4-2 over its last six games. Though Dončić has struggled to put up gaudy numbers, he is still averaging over 20 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game during that stretch. In his last three contests, he has upped his scoring output to 24 points per game.
