The Luka Dončić trade still doesn’t sit well with most of the NBA world, nor did it sit well with the Slovenian himself. Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison’s bold move to let go of the face of the franchise shocked millions. Needless to say, the Los Angeles Lakers were instantly dubbed winners of the trade.
Dončić came to Los Angeles with an injury, and it took him some time to set foot on the court, but the Slovenian guard eventually found his rhythm and a decent connection with LeBron James. Dončić and James put on a show against the mighty Denver Nuggets, who were also at full strength, with the Lakers duo scoring 32 and 23 points, respectively.
Now, the Lakers are hosting the Mavericks on Tuesday, and we expect nothing but fireworks from Dončić, who is reportedly disappointed with the Dallas front office.
NBA Legend DeMarcus Cousins Predicts Luka Dončić Will Come Out Guns Blazing Against Dallas Mavericks
Four-time NBA All-Star and former New Orleans Pelicans star DeMarcus Cousins related to how Dončić would be feeling ahead of the Lakers’ highly anticipated game against the Mavericks, warning Dallas that the Slovenian would come all guns firing.
“I know how I felt when I made my return to the team that traded me,” Cousins said on a recent episode of Run It Back. “I was a shark in bloody water. I expect nothing less from Luka. I think it’s gonna be a lot of emotion. I think it’ll be a lot of antics. And I think he’s coming out firing right away. I think he’s gonna try to make a statement.”
"When I made my return to the team that traded me, I was a shark in bloody water. I expect nothing less from Luka. I think it's [gonna] be a lot of emotion."
DeMarcus Cousins on Luka Doncic's matchup against the Mavs 👀
(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/kwYcnMtgv6
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 24, 2025
Dončić made his debut for the Lakers during the Feb. 11 game against the Utah Jazz and finished with 14 points and four assists. He had another middling performance for Los Angeles in the following two games against Utah and the Charlotte Hornets before announcing his arrival with a 32-point showing against the Nuggets, helping the Lakers end their eight-game losing streak in Denver.
Evidenced in that win was the blossoming chemistry between Dončić and James.
In the first quarter, Dončić grabbed a defensive rebound from Jamal Murray’s miss and made a perfect pass for the four-time NBA champ to slam it down. If that wasn’t enough, the 25-year-old made a magical lob over Murray just before halftime, which ended in a two-hand dunk from James.
The partnership between Dončić and James is interesting, but it’s a massive gamble for the Lakers to go deep into the season without a traditional center. Nevertheless, Los Angeles’ strategy seems to be working so far, and Dončić would hope it works against the Mavericks as well. All eyes will be on the biggest NBA revenge game in years.
