Luka Doncic’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers and its surrounding narratives shocked almost everyone in the NBA. It was never easy for those involved in it, too, all the more for the player who was leaving a team he considered family while hearing a general manager comment on his defensive shortcomings. Did that deter him? Not according to the woman who manages him.
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Lara Beth Seager, Doncic’s business manager, was at ease breaking the news of the trade to the Slovenian, who, at that point in the season, was looking to carry the Dallas Mavericks into the playoffs. GM Nico Harrison, however, wanted a ‘defender’ in the side, which is why he went for a straight Doncic-Anthony Davis swap.
Seager revealed recently that it wasn’t that tough for Doncic to accept that Los Angeles would be his new home. After all, leaving home and thriving not just in different teams but in different countries and cultures was not new to him. From his teenage years to be exact, when Doncic, who hails from Slovenia, and he left his country in hopes of achieving stardom.
In an interview with Sports Business Journal, Seager was asked how she anticipated Doncic would react to Harrison’s decision when the trade talks began back then. “Luka is super strong. Luka is resilient,” she replied.
“He left home at 13 years old and went to Spain to play basketball, and didn’t speak a lick of Spanish. This kid is a survivor and a fighter, and I knew he was going to be OK,” Seager added.
Doncic has been a superstar for as long as most basketball fans today can remember. He went to Spain in 2015, and conquered the country and Europe with Real Madrid, becoming MVP in the EuroLeague and the Liga ACB in 2018, at just 19 years of age. He was destined for success in the NBA.
Right from his opening season (2018-19), Doncic established himself as one of the best players in the NBA and became the face of the Mavericks. He carried them to a Finals appearance in 2024. Between 2018 to 2025, Doncic averaged 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists per game.
Had Doncic stayed in Dallas longer — which he admittedly would have loved — he might even have surpassed Dirk Nowitzki’s legacy. Nowitzki is widely regarded as the greatest Maverick of all time, who spent 21 years with the team.
Well, that’s just a hypothetical statement. Doncic is now at the Lakers, and the storied franchise has worked hard over the summer to present him as its new face. He even signed a three-year $165 million contract with the Lakers, signaling that he’s not looking to shift camps anywhere else as of now.
