The NBA has seen plenty of blockbuster trades over the years, but few compare to what unfolded on February 2, 2025. The Dallas Mavericks sent franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, a superstar already on the wrong side of 30. Dallas cited concerns over Doncic’s conditioning and long-term commitment as key reasons behind the move. But not everyone has bought that explanation.

Speaking on Draymond Green’s Show on Tuesday, former ESPN employee Jemele Hill gave her take on the role the Mavericks played in that narrative around Doncic.

“But I have seen it a million times,” Hill said. “It’s like organizations will start shi****g on a dude that they try to get rid of or whatever, or create a narrative so that like, if (they) go somewhere else and plays, people already have like sort of this, oh, I don’t know about this guy. Like they’re they’re trying to they’re trying to create their own narrative, because, like, notice the look about it. All of a sudden, all the things he wasn’t doing as a Maverick came out after they traded him.

“It was like, yes. Because they are trying to justify their decision to the public and say, see, what it was is he was overweight and he was doing all this and blah, blah, blah. And it was like, uh, which I had none of that to say when he was dropping 30 at night, though,” Hill added.

According to insider Tim MacMahon, conditioning concerns were a “major factor” behind Dallas initiating trade talks with the Lakers. The report also said there was “extreme frustration throughout the organization about Dončić’s lackadaisical approach to diet and conditioning.” There were also concerns about his effort on the defensive end. While he was one of the league’s most lethal scorers, there were times when he failed to get back in transition, leaving his teammates shorthanded on the other end of the floor.

Former General Manager Nico Harrison, who lost his job as a result of the trade, never directly said that Doncic was out of shape, but repeatedly emphasized culture and defense. He also defended making the blockbuster deal, saying: “The easiest thing for me to do is do nothing… But we really believe in it, and time will tell if I’m right.”

Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, during an interview with the Dallas Morning News, praised legendary competitors before he drew a comparison with the Slovenian. Dumont said: “If you look at the greats in the league… Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Shaq, they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win.” He then added, “If you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.”

For an organization to get rid of someone who was on their way to potentially becoming the best player in their franchise’s history was shocking to say the least. And Doncic was admittedly taken aback. But instead of arguing publicly or lambasting the Mavericks, he simply worked on himself to show that he was committed to the sport.

After joining the Lakers, he noticeably slimmed down, with many saying he looked to be in the best shape of his career entering the offseason. In his time in purple and gold so far, he’s averaged 31.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 8.1 apg, which are MVP-caliber numbers. He hasn’t won a title yet, but the Lakers have shown complete faith in him and are building a team around him to do just that. The Mavericks, meanwhile, haven’t had an easy road.

How the Mavericks Fared Since the Doncic Trade

When the Mavericks made the deal, they were 26-23 and firmly in the playoff race. However, they went 13-20 after the trade and missed the playoffs. In doing so, they became the first team since the Golden State Warriors in 2019-20 to miss the playoffs a year after reaching the NBA Finals.

Davis, who was brought in to replace Doncic, looked dominant in his debut with 26 points and 16 rebounds. However, he suffered an adductor strain that sidelined him for weeks. He never quite returned to his best and later dealt with injuries to his wrist, eye, knee, and groin. In 2026, the Mavericks admitted the experiment hadn’t worked, trading Davis, along with several other players, to the Wizards in exchange for Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, Malaki Branham, AJ Johnson, two future first-round picks, and three second-round picks.

That said, it hasn’t been all doom and gloom for Dallas. One unexpected positive came when the Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft lottery despite having just a 1.8% chance, allowing them to draft Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick. However, Flagg’s arrival didn’t immediately change the team’s fortunes, as Dallas finished the 2025-26 season with a 26-56 record and missed the playoffs again.

Meanwhile, Doncic has become the Lakers’ franchise cornerstone and continues to produce at an elite level, while Dallas has struggled to replace his scoring, playmaking, and leadership.

Whether Dallas was justified in moving on from Doncic will be debated for years. But more than a year later, the early returns have done little to quiet the criticism. While the Mavericks are still searching for a new identity, Doncic has reminded the league why so many believed he was untouchable in the first place. For now, Hill’s argument that the narrative around him was used to justify the trade has only gained more traction.