Luka Dončić had a strong reaction when he found out the Dallas Mavericks were trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1.

Upon learning of the shocking move a little before midnight, Dončić threw his iPhone, which resulted in a spiderweb of cracks along the back of the device.

The 26-year-old star said in a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he can still make calls and send texts on the device.

Luka Doncic tells @malika_andrews about throwing his phone and breaking it when he found out he got traded to the Lakers 😳

"My heart was broken honestly." 💔 pic.twitter.com/rfsIGlOaBC

— ESPN (@espn) April 18, 2025

“Still works,” Dončić said.

Dončić told ESPN he was in bed watching a movie when he was informed the Mavericks were moving on from him. His initial emotions were anger, sadness and disbelief.

“Sadness, mostly,” Dončić said. “I was still in shock. Crazy shock. I felt like my heart was broken, honestly.”

“The first thing I said — probably three times — is it’s April 1.”

The trade was no April Fool’s Day joke. Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison had sent Dončić, who only eight months earlier had led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.

Since the trade, Harrison has spoken publicly twice. Harrison said the Mavericks were targeting Davis, a player who better fit the team’s “culture.” Harrison has also repeatedly stressed that “defense wins championships” as his rationale for doing the deal.

“It’s just sad the way he is talking right now,” Dončić told Andrews. “I never say anything bad about him. And I just want to move on.”

The Lakers posted a 22-13 record after acquiring Dončić. They finished as the West’s No. 3 seed. On Saturday, Los Angeles will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a first-round playoff series.

The Mavericks had a 13-20 record after the trade. Davis and Kyrie Irving, their two best players, dealt with significant injuries. Davis missed six weeks of action due to a left adductor strain. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee in early March.

Dallas must beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament on Friday to qualify for the playoffs.

It’s unlikely the Lakers and Mavericks will meet in the playoffs. But they did play twice after the trade. On April 9, Dončić scored 45 points in his first game in Dallas as a Laker. Fans cheered Dončić every time he touched the ball in the Lakers’ 112-97 win.

“It was so special,” Dončić said. “With the fans. With teammates. Being there, it was something I never seen in my life. It was just special, the love between me and the fans.”

(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)