Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks had an underwhelming finishing to the 2022-23 NBA season, where the franchise failed to advance to the playoffs.
After adding Kyrie Irving to the roster, most expected the Mavs to be a lock for the Western Conference Finals, but the trade backfired for the team. NBA analyst Skip Bayless recently claimed that Luka Doncic is no longer having fun while playing basketball for Dallas due to this reason.
“Luka says out of one side of his mouth, he’s fine with Kyrie, but he’s not having fun anymore,” Bayless said on the Skip Bayless Show. “And that things better change next year because last year, the Mavericks won a Game 7 over the defending champs at Phoenix, 123-90, and got to the Western Conference Finals because Jalen Brunson … was a great fit for Luka. Luka says he really misses Jalen Brunson. I can’t blame him.”
Bayless was not done as he then shifted his focus on the Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, for bringing in Kyrie Irving.
“Mark Cuban derailed a very good team by not preacting to get Jalen Brunson signed,” Skip added. “He just didn’t see it coming. He got caught with his guard down, and he lost. And now he’s stuck with Kyrie. … If he does bring back Kyrie, it will not work.”
(Starts at 1:04)
Mark Cuban erred greatly in letting Jalen Brunson walk. He is now reaping what he sowed being stuck with Kyrie Irving.
More, from this week’s @SkipBaylessShow:pic.twitter.com/fs4p9cGE0d
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 17, 2023
Bayless has announced that even if the Mavericks manage to re-sign Kyrie Irving this offseason, it will not work.
He simply believes Jalen Brunson was a better fit alongside Luka Doncic than Kyrie Irving. Considering the Mavericks paid a hefty price for Irving, losing him after just half a season would be devastating.
Luka Doncic Will Not Request A Trade This Offseason
The Mavericks had a disappointing season, and not many would be shocked if Luka Doncic demands a trade this offseason.
However, according to an anonymous Western Conference executive, Doncic doesn’t have the courage to request a trade.
“The Mavericks are not going there, and everyone knows it,” a Western Conference executive said. “There is just no way. The only way he can force a trade is to sit out like Ben Simmons did, and anyone who knows anything about Luka knows he is not going to do that. There’s just no way.”
The executive believes Luka will never request a trade from the Mavericks. Instead, he may sit out the season similar to Ben Simmons did to get traded from the Philadelphia 76ers.
But at the same time, the executive also mentioned there is no way fans will see Doncic pull off a similar move.
All things considered, Doncic may leave in free agency as early as 2026 by denying his player option. Hopefully, the Mavericks will find a way to bolster the roster around Doncic before that. Otherwise, they will lose a generational talent.
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