Patrick Dumont had a negative encounter with Luka Doncic before giving the green light to trade him.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts from the team bench during the second half of the game against the Denver Nuggets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Even months after his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, details continue to emerge surrounding the trade of Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic.

According to a new report by Dallas Hoops Journal, the reason for the viral breakup could go back to a few weeks before the trade, when he tried to approach Doncic on conditioning concerns.

“Among the factors that led Dumont to provide the green light was an interaction he had with Docnic, focused on addressing perceived conditioning concerns,” wrote Grant Afseth.

“This occurred before Harrison initiated trade talks for Doncic at his coffee meeting with Pelinka in Dallas before the Mavericks faced the Lakers on Jan. 7.

As one might expect, that interaction involving Doncic and Dumont did not go well. Weeks later, Doncic was traded, with a heavy run of media leaks emphasizing conditioning to follow.”

Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont bought the team in December of 2023, taking over from the iconic Mark Cuban. After pushing Cuban out of the organization, Dumont began to run the team for himself, and his first order of business was sending a message to his franchise player.

In one of their earliest meetings, Dumont challenged Doncic’s conditioning and called on the young superstar to improve his habits both on and off the court.

Cavaliers xấu hổ Mavericks trong trò chơi đầu tiên kể từ khi Dallas 'Luka Doncic giao dịch | Tin Mới

Whatever exchange was had that day was not well-received by Doncic, and it was enough for Dumont to give the green light on trading him once and for all.

Doncic was just 25 at the time of the blockbuster deal, and he was still relatively unproven as a leading franchise star. After drafting him third overall in 2018, the Mavericks gave Luka all the power as they worked to build a proper team around the 5x All-Star.

With averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game for the Mavericks, Luka played his role admirably, and he expected to sign a supermax contract with the franchise this summer.

What Doncic didn’t realize was that the Mavericks lost faith in his ability to lead. As good as he was on the basketball court, the Mavericks felt that his poor work ethic and conditioning set an improper example for his teammates that threatened to tear the team apart.

In the pursuit of defense and a true championship mentality, the Mavericks gave up Doncic to welcome Anthony Davis, and it’s a moment that will forever be remembered in NBA history, for all the wrong reasons. If the Mavericks fail to win the title as presently constructed, fans will take their hate and vitriol to a whole new level.

If you ask the Mavericks management, however, they’ll tell you that the trade was in the best interest of the team and that they’ve maximized their title chances.

With Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, the Mavericks do have a path to success in the West, but any attempt at a redemption arc will have to wait until next year.

Dallas Mavs' Sean Sweeney Speaks on 'Honor' of Coaching Luka Doncic with Slovenia

As the NBA playoffs commence with the teams that are left, Dumont and GM Nico Harrison will no doubt be watching to see how it all plays out and where their team can fit into the playoff bracket in 2026.

Besides good health and solid team chemistry, the Mavericks will need a lot to go right to justify the trade, but Dumont still feels that he made the right choice after getting to know Doncic for himself while he was still in Dallas.