Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ acquisition of Luka Doncic sent shockwaves throughout the NBA. Now, just over six months later, Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler has shared his thoughts on the blockbuster deal.
During a recent interview with “The National,” Butler shared his thoughts on Doncic’s move to the Lakers. The Warriors forward noted how he believes something had happened behind the scenes to trigger such a big decision from the Dallas Mavericks.
“I thought it was fake like everybody else,” Butler said. “So did you, I don’t even have to ask, you know what I mean?… When you use the word untradable, untouchable, you’d think Luka Doncic is one of those guys, honestly…There’s always more to it… You only know what you read, you only know what you see from socials. You don’t know what was really going on behind closed doors…There’s always more to these stories. I don’t know, but I can guarantee you that there is more and there’s always reason behind everything. Do I know the reason? No.”
Whatever the reason for the deal, Doncic is now the face of the Lakers organization. Rob Pelinka has spent the summer retooling the roster to better fit around Doncic and LeBron James. The superstar duo will undoubtedly be pushing for a championship in the upcoming season.
Butler Also Changed Teams At Trade Deadline
Doncic wasn’t the only star who changed teams in February. Butler was also moved on, having pushed for the Miami Heat to trade him. He will now be part of a Warriors roster that has plans on competing with the Lakers in the upcoming season.
Nonetheless, Butler has been part of big-time trades during his career. As such, his stance on what likely led to Doncic leaving Dallas is one worth listening to. After all, a team doesn’t usually trade its franchise cornerstone, especially for an oft-injured big man.
Fortunately for the Lakers, the deal worked in their favor, and now Doncic will anchor the franchise for at least the next four or five years.
Jeff Teague Casts Doubt on Lakers Star Duo
During a recent episode of the “Off Guard” podcast, former NBA guard Austin Rivers shared his thoughts on the James and Doncic partnership.
“I don’t like the fit with him and Luka,” Rivers said. “LeBron still wants this to be his show. Luka’s just too good for not to be his show. It worked with Kyrie. Kyrie accepted Luka as the best player. He was the Batman to his Robin. Who is the Robin in this situation? Now, LeBron is a strategic mastermind and will come out and say that ‘I am.’”
Teague is likely concerned by the defensive issues that come with the duo. James is aging and has become more selective on the defensive end. Doncic’s struggles have been well documented. However, the addition of Marcus Smart will undoubtedly go some way toward fixing those concerns.
Therefore, it’s logical for Lakers fans to be excited for what the coming season has in store.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jimmy Butler Breaks Silence on Lakers’ Addition of Luka Doncic appeared first on Heavy Sports.