Luka Doncic 'Camp' Claps Back at Narrative on Lakers Star

Certainly, the fact that the Mavericks hinted publicly and said outright privately that Doncic's conditioning was the motivation for the trade fueled that narrative. Doncic had a score to settle, it seemed, and the Men's Health cover was the result of it.

But that's not quite the case, at least as Dan Woike of The Athletic writes, pointing out that Doncic has been working with the fitness team highlighted in the article since 2023.

He noted: "Some sources in Doncic’s inner circle believed he was on the path toward this kind of physical transformation whether or not Dallas general manager Nico Harrison had bet against him. ...

"The belief among Dončić’s team was, to some degree, that as he matured as an NBA professional, he’d adopt some better habits and completely buy into a stricter strength and conditioning program instead of the more competition-driven approach he’d been comfortable with. But improvement isn’t always linear, and Doncic suffered a number of physical setbacks in 2024 that certainly made it easier for the Mavericks to explore options other than handing him a blank check mega-extension."

Ah, yes, the mega-extension. Doncic will be eligible to sign a new deal with the Lakers worth about $230 million over four years beginning on August 2. He is expected to sign the new deal close to that date.