Lakers' Jeanie Buss makes telling statement on Luka Doncic trade

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss has acknowledged the importance of her front office operating in stealth mode to pull off the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade.

Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Buss revealed that nearly everyone within the Lakers organization was kept in the dark before the blockbuster deal materialized.

"It was really important to me that we didn't blow up the team," Buss said Thursday. "If it had leaked out and the trade hadn't happened, that would be really unfair to the progress that the coaching staff had made with the team. Because it's a huge distraction ... I'm really proud that it didn't leak out and that we were able to execute the trade in a way that still was surprising to all the parties involved."

Buss' comments give credence to claims by Doncic and Davis, who were all admittedly taken aback by the deal. Even Rich Paul, Davis' agent, revealed he was unaware of talks between the Lakers and Mavericks until a few minutes before the trade was finalized. 

Much like Buss, Paul felt the trade would have likely fallen apart if anyone in the media, or even within the team, got wind of the talks between the Lakers and Mavericks.

Doncic has quickly made his mark with his new team. In a 111-102 win over the Timberwolves on Thursday, Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves made NBA history with their combined efforts, including totaling 77 points between them.