Heartbreaking detail reveals how Luka Doncic reacted to shocking Lakers trade

Saturday night was one of the craziest nights in sports history.

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers worked out a deal in the shadows, as the Mavs traded Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. Mavericks fans couldn't believe their eyes as news of this deal flooded the internet before midnight on Saturday, and the biggest trade in NBA history went down without anyone knowing about it outside of Nico Harrison, Rob Pelinka, and the ownership groups of both teams (who found out much later on).

Jason Kidd didn't know about it, JJ Redick didn't know about it, LeBron James didn't know about it, Davis didn't know about it, Doncic's agent Bill Duffy didn't know about it, and Doncic himself didn't know about it. The five-time NBA First Team member and former Mavericks franchise player from Slovenia had no clue that his life would change completely that night.

Luka Doncic's emotional response to shocking trade to the Lakers

Doncic had spent his entire career with the Mavericks since they drafted him in 2018, and he made it clear in his letter to the city of Dallas that he posted on Sunday that he envisioned himself playing his entire career with the Mavericks. His letter to Dallas showed how much he loved the city and Mavericks fans, and an alleged detail of how Doncic reacted to the trade on Saturday night shows how badly he wanted to be a Maverick for life.

On "Run It Back," former Mavericks wing Chandler Parsons detailed that Doncic bought a new home in Dallas recently, and he "cried when he found out" he had been traded. Doncic had to have been heartbroken that the Mavericks gave up on him after all they have been through over the last seven years, and the timing of when Dallas moved on from him was so abrupt.

Doncic's return to the floor was going to be before the All-Star break, and the Mavericks had just made the NBA Finals in the season prior. He had probably never even considered that Dallas would consider trading him, and he found out right around the time it happened.

Doncic was shocked, just as all NBA fans were, and him shedding a tear in this moment shows just how emotional he likely was. NBA players are human, and Doncic gave all he had to Dallas.

Mavericks fans shared this emotion with Doncic, as fans flooded PNC Plaza outside of the American Airlines Center over the last 48 hours or so to show their support for him. They brought Doncic signs, jerseys, shirts, posters, and anything you could imagine to lay at the entrance of PNC Plaza right by the Dirk Nowitzki statue, and this fanbase was truly crushed.

The sudden nature of this trade going down made it much worse for these fans, and regardless of how badly this move hurt Doncic at the moment and the city of Dallas as a whole, many of these fans will move on one day, just like Doncic is having to do now.

Doncic is fully invested in winning a championship in Los Angeles alongside LeBron James, and Mavericks fans have a new superstar in town with Davis. He may not be the same superstar who led Dallas to the Finals last season and shed blood, sweat, and tears for the Mavericks, but he is going to make a huge impact on both ends of the floor right away. Davis has solidified himself as one of the best defensive players in the NBA over his career, and his focus on excellence on that end fits exactly what Harrison is looking for.

Mavericks fans have every right to mourn this trade and Dallas' decision to trade away the franchise cornerstone, but the new era of Mavs basketball led by Davis and Kyrie Irving is something to be excited about as well. It's going to be different, but Harrison's track record of trades over the past few years is an outstanding one. He struck gold in back-to-back seasons when he traded for Irving, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington, and the Davis trade could end up being monumental in the long run depending on if he can help the Mavericks win a ring before he retires.

"We really believe in it," Harrison said of the Doncic-Davis trade on Sunday. "Time will tell if I'm right."