When Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers at the February deadline, thus ending his dreams of retiring a Dallas Maverick, the subsequent press conference was ... somber, to say the least. Doncic had had little time to process the move before propping himself up before reporters, and was all the while dealing with an onslaught of speculation regarding the rationale behind it all. Suffice it to say, he certainly was not his most sparkly self.
But on Saturday, after he signed a three-year, $165 million extension with his new long-term home, the new-look Doncic seemed calm, confident and—dare we say it—happy, what seems like a lifetime removed from that day back in February.
Maybe it was the windfall in his pocket. Maybe it was his physical transformation over the offseason. Or maybe it was just because, well, he doesn't care anymore.
Speaking with The Athletic, Doncic's manager Lara Beth Seager, essentially said as much in just three words:
"He's moved on," she told the outlet for an article published Tuesday, referring to the Dallas exit.
And now, she added later, Luka's focus is on sticking with the Lakers.
“I think it was always known that, when Luka was traded here, it’s, ‘He’s here now,’” Seager said. “He wants to win where he is, and it’s important that he wins and that we’re working together with the team so we’re not waiting. His mindset has never been to hop around. His mindset is to win championships.
“His mindset is to build where he is and to work together. And as long as he’s signed with a team, it’s a marriage and you treat it like a marriage. And marriages have hard times and good times, but you’re loyal and you’re faithful to each other through it all. And that’s just who Luka is. I don’t think he ever thought. ‘I’m not signing my extension.’”
The hope was that Doncic would serve as the new face and leader of the Lakers once LeBron James retires. And now, with an extension out of the way and a healed Doncic on the docket, he'll be truly ready to assume that role at the start of next season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Doncic's Manager Described Guard's Current Post-Trade Mentality in Three Words.