Hope you were sitting down when this news dropped because it’s a wild one. Late Saturday night, the Lakers and Mavericks flipped the NBA upside down with a blockbuster trade. Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick? All headed to Dallas. And in return, the Lakers pulled off the impossible—they got Luka Doncic.

After getting shipped to the Lakers on Sunday, he finally broke his silence.

Instead of a quick statement, he went all in—writing a heartfelt letter to Dallas, showing love to the Mavericks, their fans, and the city that’s been home since day one. Safe to say, emotions were running high.

“Dear Dallas, seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level. I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship. The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home. In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed.”

Doncic wasn’t just some hyped-up prospect—he was already breaking records before stepping into the NBA. As a teen, he dominated overseas and became the youngest (19) EuroLeague MVP ever. Dallas knew he was special, so they made sure to get him in the 2018 draft. Atlanta took him at No. 3, but the Mavs weren’t letting him slip away. They sent Trae Young and a first-round pick to seal the deal.

However, the scouts weren’t sold on Luka before he hit the NBA. Some thought his early dominance in Europe meant he had already peaked. Others doubted if his body could handle the league’s grind—ESPN’s Jonathan Givony even called it “baby fat.” But Luka proved everyone wrong. He finished 4th in the MVP voting in just his second season.

Luka further penned, “Thank you not only for sharing my joy in our best moments, but also for lifting me up when I needed it most. To all the organizations I’ve worked with throughout the Dallas community, thank you for letting me contribute to your important work and join you in bringing light to those who need it. As I start the next part of my basketball journey, I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart – Luka.”

In case you held back those tears till now, well, Luka Doncic captioned this post: “#mffl” aka ‘Mavs Fan for Life’.

The above write-up was for us fans. But for his teammates, he had something different in mind. After the trade went down, Luka hit up the Mavs team group chat with a simple message: “thanks for everything”, Naji Marshall told Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. No long speech, just straight from the heart. Done.

It’s no doubt the Slovenian would’ve retired at Dallas if the Mavs wanted. That would’ve ideally been the plan, isn’t it? But it looks like it just wasn’t meant to be. Now the next destination is LA. How will he fit in there?

How does Luka Doncic slot in at Los Angeles?

With Anthony Davis gone, the spotlight now shifts to Luka, who’s set to be the face of the franchise for years to come. The big question is how he’ll mesh with LeBron James, a duo that could be absolutely lethal once they find their rhythm.

There’s a learning curve ahead, though.

LeBron and Luka have both been the top dogs on their team, so one of them will have to adjust. It’ll be a bit like when The Chosen One figured out his chemistry with Dwyane Wade in Miami or Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. But with both players being elite passers, expect some jaw-dropping plays between the two—whether it’s LeBron setting screens for Luka or Luka hitting LeBron for easy looks.

Once they sync up, their offensive firepower will be something to fear! The Lakers could be unstoppable, especially with King James’ leadership and Luka’s clutch ability. The only thing holding them back right now is finding the right pieces around them, like a reliable center to complete the squad.

When LeBron James eventually retires or moves on, the Lakers have Luka Doncic locked in for the future. They’ve built a strong foundation for the post-LeBron era as well. It’s not just about today—it’s about setting themselves up for a long reign with the Slovenian talisman at the helm. Finally, we can now say, the Purple and Gold side’s future is looking brighter than ever!