Photo: Peter Baba

US President Donald Trump has questioned the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic, saying he does not understand why the franchise moved on from its superstar.

“This is a big Dallas Mavericks team, which is going to be hopefully good. I must tell you, I don’t understand the trade. That trade is not good. What do I know about basketball? Was it Luka? Maybe we can redo that trade? I redo deals all the time,” Trump said at first-ever RNC midterm convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday.

The Mavericks traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024-25 season, ending the Slovenian guard’s seven-year run in Dallas.

Doncic had already established himself as one of the NBA’s most productive players by the time of the trade. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 50 games during the 2024-25 season, including 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 22 games with Dallas.

His Dallas career included five All-NBA First Team selections and five top-eight finishes in MVP voting. He averaged at least 28 points in each of his final six seasons with the Mavericks.

The 2023-24 season was particularly notable. Doncic averaged 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 70 games while shooting 48.7% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range. He finished third in MVP voting and helped Dallas reach the NBA Finals alongside Kyrie Irving.

Dallas struggled after the trade. The Mavericks finished the 2024-25 season with a 39-43 record, good for ninth in the Western Conference, before falling to 26-56 and 12th in the conference in 2025-26.

Cooper Flagg emerged as Dallas’ leading scorer in 2025-26, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 70 games as a rookie. He won Rookie of the Year, but the Mavericks still finished 30 games below .500.

Meanwhile, Doncic continued to produce at an All-NBA level with the Lakers. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 28 games after arriving in Los Angeles during the 2024-25 season.

In 2025-26, Doncic raised his scoring average to 33.5 points per game while adding 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists over 64 games. He shot 47.6% from the field and 36.6% from three-point range, earned an All-Star selection and another All-NBA First Team spot while finishing fourth in MVP voting.

The Lakers have subsequently built their roster around Doncic following LeBron James’ departure to the Philadelphia 76ers. Austin Reaves signed a four-year, $180 million extension, while Los Angeles acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade.

Los Angeles also added Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams.