Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is proud of how tight-lipped her team remained in the days prior to the official announcing of franchise’s trade for Luka Doncic from the Mavericks, simply for the sake of the team’s development.
The three-team blockbuster trade that saw the Lakers also receive Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-rounder completely shocked the NBA world in the early hours of Feb. 2.
The aftermath saw Mavericks fans rally in protest several times, including holding a mock funeral for Doncic on the trade day and holding “Fire Nico” signs at games.
Jeanie Buss, President of the Los Angeles Lakers and executive producer, attends a premiere of the television series “Running Point” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 13, 2025.REUTERS
She didn’t want it to be “unfair” to the team and have it serve as a distraction.
She was happy it was “surprising to all the parties involved.”
“It was really important to me that we didn’t blow up the team,” Buss said Thursday before the Lakers’ 111-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. “If it had leaked out and the trade hadn’t happened, that would be really unfair to the progress that the coaching staff had made with the team. Because it’s a huge distraction.”
