New Mavericks CEO Rick Welts has publicly discussed the Luka Dončić trade that sent him from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers. In an interview with Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, he addressed how he "probably underestimated the reaction" the fans had to the recent Dončić trade.

Luka Doncic’s poor conditioning was a problem long before he was shockingly traded at the trade deadline in February.

That includes Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams, who faced off against Doncic and the Mavericks in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals. Williams was as surprised as everyone else, noting that he was woken up out of his slumber when everything broke publicly.