One year ago, the Los Angeles Lakers’ fortunes changed forever when they traded for Luka Doncic in the most shocking deal in NBA history.
The Lakers had just beaten the New York Knicks in an impressive road win before the news broke that Doncic would be making his way to Los Angeles. He was traded for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first round pick, a menial return for one of the best superstars in the world.
It was an emotional time for all the parties involved, especially for Doncic who never imagined he’d be traded. With a year gone by, Luka is in a great place now and is focused on bringing a championship to L.A.
Head coach JJ Redick was certainly happy to have Doncic come on board and he reflected on where he was when he first heard the news, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“There’s certain things about that day that I remember. But Coach Ty (Abbott) and I were actually talking about it yesterday, after our meeting I went to the steam room and there’s a lot that you’re carrying with this trade that’s about to happen and obviously your first game coaching the Lakers in the Garden, very significant. You’re constantly worried about your team or whatever. So I found the steam room at the hotel and was kind of just in a really thoughtful space, I thought. And then Coach Ty walked in and was like ‘What the f— is wrong with you?’ And I guess I was stressed out, but I managed it well during the game. That’s kind of what I remember.”
For Redick, it must have been difficult to sit on the news that the Lakers were about to acquire Doncic. Los Angeles had started to find its groove as a team, so trading for the Slovenian star was a huge shake up to the roster and organization.
Doncic was clearly not himself as he wrestled with the aftermath of his trade, but he has regained his rhythm and confidence during the 2025-26 season. The Doncic trade will go down as one of the biggest inflection points in the storied franchise’s history and it’ll be exciting to see the rest of his journey pan out with the purple and gold.
LeBron James loves everything about Luka Doncic
Doncic’s arrival meant the Lakers had the perfect person to take the reins from LeBron James once he retires. James and Doncic have formed a great relationship on and off the floor, with LeBron saying he loves everything about Luka.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
