With LeBron James playing in Philadelphia, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić is now the face of the franchise. Yet, despite being just 27 years old, the ninth-year star is familiar with standing directly in the spotlight as the centerpiece of a franchise.

During his seven seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Dončić won the Rookie of the Year, made five All-Star teams, claimed a scoring title, and led Dallas to an NBA Finals appearance.

With a young star as their leader, the Mavericks looked set to keep building around Dončić. A surprise trade sent him to the Lakers. While Dončić and the Mavericks have moved on, an NBA insider added new context to the criticism that followed one of the NBA’s most shocking trades.

NBA Insider Says Mavericks Ran ‘Smear Campaign’ To Justify Luka Dončić Trade

On February 2, 2025, the Mavericks shipped Dončić to the Lakers in exchange for a package of players and a first-round draft pick, with the Utah Jazz serving as the third team in the deal.

Sam Amick, NBA writer for The Athletic, wrote that the Mavericks worked behind the scenes to justify the trade through what he described as a ‘smear campaign.’ An X post by NBA Base‘s official account detailed the event.

“The Dallas Mavericks ran a “smear campaign behind the scenes” to justify trading Luka Dončić to the Lakers, per @sam_amick 😳,” the post read.

The post continued, “The Los Angeles Lakers star has been a lightning rod for criticism from that crowd for nearly a decade now, from the time the Slovenian sensation entered the league as a fiery and absurdly talented rookie in those early Dallas Mavericks days.”

The post further argued that people in basketball broadly recognized Dončić’s greatness.

“But the actual basketball people — even the ones who were most critical about his defensive struggles, the contentious relationship with the refs, and his (previous) physique — always acknowledged his undeniable greatness (except for the Mavericks when they worked so hard to justify the February 2025 trade with a smear campaign behind the scenes),” it concluded.

Several aspects of Dončić’s game needed criticism. He has long faced criticism over his defense. Dončić stands six-foot-eight, which is large for a point guard.

In addition, he weighs 230 pounds, which should provide him a physical advantage over just about every single opposing lead guard. Yet, he does not use his gifts.

Dončić has faced years of criticism over his conditioning and physique, but he underwent a well-documented physical transformation before the 2025-26 season and continued that work this offseason.

Meanwhile, those are fixable flaws that he’s worked on. Amick argues that the Mavericks worked behind the scenes to justify the trade.

The Nico Harrison-led basketball operation is no longer in charge. Dallas drafted Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall in June 2025, fired Harrison that November, and later hired Masai Ujiri to lead basketball operations, with Mike Schmitz serving as general manager. Flagg now serves as the team’s focus.

All parties seem better off. Yet, the trade will forever bind everyone involved. Yet, each seems better apart than they would have been together.