Buss: Was important to keep Lakers' Luka Doncic trade talks quiet - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — In the days and weeks leading up to her team completing its deal to land superstar Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss knew the importance of keeping trade talks with the Dallas Mavericks limited to as tight of a circle as possible.

«It was really important to me that we didn't blow up the team,» Buss said Thursday before the Lakers' 111-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. «If it had leaked out and the trade hadn't happened, that would be really unfair to the progress that the coaching staff had made with the team. Because it's a huge distraction.»

Mavs general manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison first approached the Lakers' vice president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka with the trade concept on Jan. 7 when the Lakers were in Dallas. The trade was agreed upon 3½ weeks later, with Harrison, Pelinka, Buss and Mavs ownership the only people privy to discussions until Feb. 1, when the deal was finished.

«The trade deadline is part of the business, it increases the level of stress for everybody,» Buss said. «And I'm really proud that it didn't leak out and that we were able to execute the trade in a way that still was surprising to all the parties involved. But that goes with this business.»

Now that Doncic is a Laker, Buss is more than happy to shout about his acquisition from the rooftops. Buss spoke to reporters Thursday to promote the new Netflix comedy series «Running Point,» inspired by her life running the team. Kate Hudson portrays the character Isla Gordon, based on Buss. And Buss is an executive producer for the project, which debuted Thursday.

«Everyone thinks, 'Was this trade done to promote the show?' I don't think so,» Buss joked.

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