The Luka Dončić trade continues to confound folks in the NBA world, particularly after he returned to Dallas on Wednesday night and torched the Mavericks to the tune of 45 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 112-97 win.

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic knows he and Anthony Davis will always be compared but wished him well with the Dallas Mavericks.

This is only payback after the team cost Luka Doncic more than $115 million by trading him away. He was going to be eligible to sign a supermax extension with the Mavs this offseason worth $345 million over five years. The most he can now sign for is $229 million over four years.

Two months after his trade to the Lakers, Dončić is looking like himself again — while earning the adoration of the fan base.

In a league where players are quick to demand trades, form super teams or go to the highest bidder, Luka Doncic's love for Dallas stands out.

After the Dončić trade went down, it became clear that Cuban didn't hold the same power he had wielded for two decades in Dallas.

Before the game, Mavs coach Jason Kidd said some had compared the trading of Dončić to “Babe Ruth, which is kind of cool.”

It was a little bit of Luka magic right away. In his 6 1/2-year run in Dallas, he regularly treated Mavs fans to all sorts of difficult shots. Wednesday’s game gave those fans the chance to show their appreciation for Dončić,

Follow live as Luka Dončić returns to face the Mavericks for the first time since Dallas traded him to the Lakers two months ago.