People within the league continue to believe that Dallas made a grave mistake in dealing its young superstar. Tuesday's game showed why.

Of all the emotions Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić likely felt after facing his former team for the first time, relief was the one he expressed most clearly following L.A.'s 107-99 home win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Luka Dončić was a member of the Dallas Mavericks less than a month ago. The widespread presumption at the time was that he would remain one for the foreseeable future, perhaps even the rest of his career.