In the last two games, Luka Doncic has shown his true colors in a new uniform. The now Los Angeles Lakers superstar dropped 30+ points for the first time followed by a triple-double against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. Talk about a trade a team would dearly regret. However, one story that has emerged is the decision to move on from Luka Magic doesn’t concern his sensational basketball skills. It’s about his commitment to continue doing so.

With that in mind, Sam Amick from The Athletic revealed some terrifying perceptions the Mavericks had. Aside from viewing Doncic as “lazy”, they were also concerned about his habits. Can you imagine Doncic’s game declining in five years because that’s what the franchise predicts? And if that is true, Rob Parker is fully on board with Nico Harrison’s decision.

“We talked about this Kelvin that there’s a story behind this. This is not a basketball trade. This is we’re dumping a guy we don’t believe is a professional…,” Parker pointed out. “While he’s getting away with it now as a 25-year-old with a 35-year-old body that in five years this is going to be bad. And I’m going to buy into the Mavericks and think that yes they are right here cause I don’t believe that LeBron’s going to rub off on Luka,”.

Put his habits aside for a minute, Luka Doncic is just 25. The Mavericks could have waited for a few years before taking a decision on his health, especially considering the success he brought to the franchise. But wait, there was an impending extension for him. And Parker is of the opinion that a $345 million commitment could have been too risky to make.

“He’s had a lot of success doing what he’s done but as you get older you know this things change… I think they made the right business decision when you’re talking about $350 million cause the worst thing you want is a guy who once you give him that money if he didn’t feel compelled to stay in shape and do what’s right and and take his career and I’m talking about from the physical part serious how are you going to get him to do anything once you give him $350 million?” Parker wondered on The Odd Couple.

So far, the Mavericks have looked to end up on the losing side of the blockbuster trade. Anthony Davis is out with an abductor injury. Additionally, due to the fan abandoning the franchise, their tickets prices have significantly decreased. The average cost of tickets is down 40%. But is there a silver lining to this for them?

What is Luka Doncic even doing wrong?

Aside from the recent reports that claim Doncic’s habits of smoking hookah and drinking beer. However, before that came the weight issues. During his recovery stages, news emerged about him weighing close to 270 lbs. When he appeared during his Lakers press conference, that didn’t seem the case.

Moreover, ever since making his debut, that hasn’t looked to be true. If anything, he is back to expending his energy, having played over 30 minutes in his last three games.

What’s more weird is that before this season, the Mavericks didn’t really face any injury crisis with Luka Doncic. Last season, he was averaging nearly 38 minutes per game in the regular season. During his electric playoff run that time increased to 40.9 minutes, and he played all 22 games.

Hence, even though these habits might exist, it doesn’t seem to be as extreme as it’s being reported. Sure, within the Dallas Mavericks, they may want to set a certain culture that frowns upon Doncic’s pleasures. But right now with six seasons of concerning workload with Dallas, all Luka Doncic has done is find ways to astonish the NBA crowd year after year.

From a franchise player’s perspective, Doncic really boasts all the skills. He can bend himself to fit a new team within a week and is a vehement performer when it comes to the big moments. Above all, it’s hard to question his commitment to being a stunning basketball player given he played through multiple injuries during the NBA Finals.

If his reported consumption habits are at an alarming volume, it’s understandable. And maybe because he is so young, there’s no visible dip in his basketball utility. But from the evidence in front, it’s hard to see how Luka Doncic’s basketball greatness outweighs his ‘bad habits’. Either the Mavericks know something more or it was a hasty decision to capitalize on their championship window in the present.

We shall have an answer in five years, I guess.