A major storyline for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason has been star guard Luka Doncic’s conditioning and commitment to his body. He faced plenty of criticism over his conditioning in light of the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade him to the Lakers partway through the 2024-25 season.
However, he looks to be noticeably slimmer and in better shape than he was last season with the work he’s put in this summer. Doncic and his camp told Men’s Health that he’s been on a diet that features no gluten, little sugar, high levels of protein and intermittent fasting. He has also been training rigorously.
With Doncic looking like a physical specimen heading into his first full season as a Laker, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears was asked about Doncic’s time with the Mavs. He offered a response and said that there are some stories that the Mavericks are “not saying” about the Slovenian.
It’s worth noting that it isn’t entirely clearly whether those stories are positive or negative.
Marc Spears on Luka:
"I think for Dallas…you heard a lot of negative things. There probably is a lot of stuff that they're not saying. There are stories that I've heard that they're not saying" pic.twitter.com/qv0Jswt3up
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 29, 2025
The Doncic trade had plenty of people shocked, as the guard was the best player on a Mavericks team that reached the 2024 NBA Finals just months before he was dealt out of Dallas. Doncic averaged 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game for the Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Playoffs and helped the team reach the championship series for the first time since 2011.
Maybe there were some things that happened between the Mavericks and Doncic behind closed doors that played a part in Dallas’ choice to move him. That could explain why the Mavericks didn’t give Doncic another chance to lead the team on a deep playoff run. However, Spears also could’ve meant that the leaks coming from the Dallas side have intentionally excluded positive stories.
For as much as some folks might still be in disbelief that Doncic is no longer a Maverick, he is relatively far removed from his Mavericks stint now and is focused on helping his new team compete for the 2026 NBA title. Doncic is hoping that he can finally add an NBA ring to his resume next year after he came so close to the league’s ultimate prize in his last full season as a Maverick.
