Mavericks ran a smear campaign against Luka Doncic after Lakers trade

The Dallas Mavericks reportedly conducted a smear campaign against Luka Doncic following their decision to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025. According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the franchise sought to justify the controversial deal by questioning Doncic's conditioning, weight, and work ethic. Former Dallas general manager Nico Harrison faced substantial scrutiny for orchestrating the blockbuster departure of the Slovenian superstar.

Since moving to Los Angeles, Doncic underwent an offseason physical transformation and was featured on the cover of Men's Health. Although he received zero votes in the annual general managers' survey for the 2026-27 MVP, he opened the campaign with a strong performance against the Golden State Warriors.