Jan 24, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (left) talks with his father Sasa Doncic (right) before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Washington Wizards at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

'It Was Just Getting Spooky Times' – Former Dallas Mavericks Assistant Reveals the Luka Doncic Reason for Leaving the Team

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 10:24 PM ET

Former Dallas Mavericks assistant God Shammgod recently revealed that the Luka Doncic trade played a key role in his decision to leave for the Orlando Magic this summer.

“The thing about Dallas was, it was just getting spooky times, man. Where we come from, if you handle things the wrong way on the way out, things can get ugly. Things can get dark. The people that survive are the people that handle things accordingly. We might not agree, but if you handle things accordingly, we can always come back and be friends,” Shammgod explained on the Come And Talk 2 Me podcast.

“When the thing (Doncic trade) went down, it was one of those things, if someone treats your man like that, it’s a countdown,” he added.

Jan 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic looks on from the team bench during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Shammgod also said that going to the Orlando Magic was the right move because he’ll be reuniting with head coach Jamahl Mosley , his former colleague with the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas Mavericks News: Cooper Flagg’s trainer breaks down rookie forward’s training plan

Cooper Flagg’s trainer, Matt MacKenzie, recently spoke with Mark Medina of RG.org to detail what the 18-year-old forward is working on before his Dallas Mavericks’ regular season debut.

Jul 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Actor Jason Sudeikis speaks with Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) after the Mavericks played the San Antonio Spurs at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

“He has spent a number of hours in the weight room. He has really enjoyed getting to know the new Mavs strength coach and his team. I know that he’s been incredibly dialed in to the sports performance side of things. He’s really getting his body ready for what will end up being a very long season,” MacKenzie said about Flagg.

“He wants to make sure that he is doing his best to prevent possible injuries. He wants to make sure that he is in a good place with his sports performance training. That’s where he’s put a lot of his emphasis,” he added.