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Luka Doncic Sends Seven-Word Message to Kyrie Irving on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 8:29 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks have experienced very different outcomes since the trade deadline deal that sent Luka Doncic to L.A.

The Lakers, with their new duo of Doncic and LeBron James, were able to move up to the No. 3 seed in the West. However, their season ended early in the playoffs, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 in the first round.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, caught the injury bug following the trade. Anthony Davis was hurt in his Dallas debut, while Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL. But the Mavericks flipped the script when they won the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Amid his offseason recovery, Irving took to social media to share a personal update. His Instagram post featured photos of himself on a yacht, working out and spending time with friends and family.

"All, in due time. ♾ #A11even #CheifHela," Irving captioned his post.

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A few hours after Irving published his post, Doncic took notice of the photos, sarcastically thanking Irving for inviting him on his yacht.

"Thanks for the invite on the yacht," Doncic responded.

Doncic and Irving spent one full season together with the Mavericks before the Slovenian was unexpectedly traded away in February. In fact, less than a year before the deal, the two All-Stars led Dallas to the NBA Finals. However, the Mavericks fell in five games to the Boston Celtics.

Both the Lakers and Mavericks have made major moves to start the offseason as they look to contend for a championship in the 2025-26 season.

The Lakers addressed a major need by signing center Deandre Ayton to a two-year deal. The Mavericks, meanwhile, added guard D’Angelo Russell to pair with their selection of Flagg. Russell is expected to help fill the gap left by Irving, who continues his recovery to start next season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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