The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a disastrous season where they missed the NBA Playoffs, with Luka Doncic averaging over 32 points last season. With growing murmurs that Doncic could jump town if the Mavs don’t improve around him fast enough, the 24-year-old guard has cleared up any speculation about his future in an interview with Rachel Nichols.
“I’m not sure. I feel great here. They drafted me and I’ve felt like it’s home since day one. I am really happy with where I am at. We made some great moves this offseason. Yeah, I am happy here.”
After the Mavericks missed the playoffs last year, we heard a LOT of talk that the team was on the clock for Luka to starting hinting about a trade, the way Giannis did last summer. But on this week's Headliners, Luka tells me just how good he feels about his future in Dallas: pic.twitter.com/SrAYmLHhBI
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) December 14, 2023
Doncic is having another MVP-caliber season this year, averaging 32.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists. The Mavericks are also looking like one of the stronger teams in the West, sitting with a 15-9 record so far this season. That’s good for fourth in the West right now, a position not many envisioned Dallas in coming into the season.
They just ate a tough loss to the Timberwolves, where a win would’ve vaulted them to No. 2 in the West behind the league-leading Wolves. Given a very tough December schedule is coming Dallas’ way, they’ll be hoping to maximize any wins they can get. Injuries have hurt them dearly, as they’re currently without Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber.
Grant Williams, Derrick Jones Jr., and Tim Hardaway Jr. have just come back from small injury absences, so the rhythm of the roster has been broken after their red-hot 8-2 start to the season. They’re still dangerous, with Luka proving he can continue carrying them to success.
Could Luka Doncic Leave Dallas?
The Mavericks likely won’t contend for a title this year, as they’re in the first season of re-tooling their roster around Luka after a disastrous 2022-23 campaign. Doncic is in Year 6 of his NBA career and could consider leaving Dallas in the summer of 2025 if he opts out of the player option on his contract and tests free agency. He’d likely be the biggest free agent on the market since Kawhi Leonard in 2019, a possibility that many teams around the NBA would salivate over.
The Mavericks made the Kyrie Irving trade last winter to show Doncic they’re committed to building a winner around him. Drafting Dereck Lively II has given them another core piece to add to their roster. The team has a glaring need for an elite forward, with Josh Green being inconsistent when available and Derrick Jones Jr. having a low ceiling to what he can do. DJJ has been a phenomenal pick-up for the Mavs, but they need a long-term solution at their forward slot.
If the Mavericks don’t swing for a major trade this season and can still be competitive, Doncic will be happier at the prospect of what they could do next summer. If the Mavs remain a playoff team, they’ll go into the summer of 2024 with three valuable first-round picks available to trade, along with many mid-size contracts.
This team can become an overnight contender if the front office makes the right moves. But impatience has bitten this franchise in the Doncic era already, so they’ll be careful about making their next move the right move to make them a bonafide contender in the NBA.
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