The trade that transferred star guard Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in February caught many by surprise. Doncic had just guided the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and seemed like the ideal player to build around at only 25 years old.

While the trade took many by surprise, Kirk Goldsberry, a former NBA executive at The Ringer, believes that more individuals within the Lakers’ front office were aware of the move than some might realize.

Doncic has been with the Lakers for nearly a month now. His time so far has been a mixed experience. His initial start with the team certainly didn’t go as smoothly as expected.

In his first three games with the Lakers, Doncic struggled with his shooting. He didn’t surpass 16 points in any of those games, and the team posted a 1-2 record during that stretch.

However, Doncic has shown more of his true form recently. He scored 32 points against a scorching hot Denver Nuggets team on February 22 and followed that up with a 19-point triple-double against his old team, the Mavericks, on February 25.

He’ll look to continue his strong play when the Lakers face a solid Minnesota Timberwolves team on Thursday night. While Minnesota hasn’t quite lived up to expectations after reaching the 2024 Western Conference Finals, they’re still in the playoff hunt with a 32-27 record.

Doncic is eager to help the Lakers secure their fourth consecutive win as they face the current No. 7 seed in the conference.

Regardless of how many people within the Lakers’ organization were aware of the trade, L.A. is certainly glad to have him on the roster.