Luka Dončić says closure on trade from Mavs will ‘take a while’

While Lakers star Luka Dončić has now faced his former team, more time will be needed to soften the sting of being traded.

Tuesday’s Lakers-Mavericks contest had some of the most captivating non-basketball moments a game can have.

There was a touching tribute for Anthony Davis, reactions from LeBron James and Austin Reaves on the return of former Lakers and, of course, Luka Dončić playing the team that traded him away.

Everyone was watching Luka’s every move. People wanted to see how he played, interacted with his former teammates and if he would greet Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, who was not only in attendance but sitting on the scorer’s table while Dončić warmed up pregame.

Luka didn’t even glance or acknowledge seeing the man deemed responsible for his departure from Dallas and went on to register his first triple-double as a Laker in the win.

After the game, Luka discussed whether he felt closure now that he had seen his ex in person.

“I mean, the closure is going to take a while, I think,” Dončić said. “It’s not ideal, but like I said, I’m glad this game is over. It’s a lot of emotions, but we go little by little and every day is better.”

While players get traded all the time, how it happened to Luka is unprecedented. Not only did it come as a shock, but he’s just about to enter his prime, was the face of the franchise and is coming off an NBA Finals appearance just eight months ago.

No superstar has ever been traded in such a manner just days before the trade deadline, let alone then also having to play his former team three weeks later.

While being a Laker, a franchise he called “one of the greatest clubs in the world,” is a great spot to be in, it’s understandable that there is still heartache and an adjustment period is needed for him to fully be over getting traded.

Time heals all wounds and winning games, playing in SoCal, and receiving love from Lakers fans will undoubtedly help ease his transition into the next era of his career. The beaches might help, too.

He may not have come here on his own, but hopefully, as the weeks and months pass, the closure will eventually happen and Luka will be happy and loving Los Angeles.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.