Getty Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks made a run to the Western Conference Finals last year on the back of some impressive play by Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson. Unfortunately, over the summer, they lost Brunson to the New York Knicks and failed to add a replacement at the guard position.
Christian Wood, who Dallas traded for this past offseason, has played well, but the Mavericks are currently sitting at just 25-24 on the season. That places them in sixth place in the Western Conference standings but also just two games out of 13th place.
With the trade deadline approaching, there has been plenty of buzz surrounding the team and whether or not they will make any moves. Recently, a video went viral depicting JaVale McGee hyping up the team before a game, and after they broke the huddle, Doncic looked visibly unhappy.
Mavericks fans took the video and spun it into a brutal narrative – Doncic could get sick of Dallas sooner rather than later. Some even predicted that he could force his way off the team in the near future if things don’t improve.
“Yeah luka’s gone next season guys. And i 100% for it,” one fan tweeted.
Obviously, Doncic is under contract with the Mavericks for a long while – through the 2026-17 season. However, if he requests a trade, Dallas’ hands could be tied.
“might not have a choice if he demands a trade and decides to sit out. He looks absolutely done with the Mavs. I’ll tell you this they better have a splashy trade deadline cause if they don’t, I doubt he comes back next season,” another fan wrote on Twitter.
Doncic has been putting up some incredible numbers this season. The Slovenian superstar has appeared in 44 of the team’s 49 games and is playing 37.5 minutes per contest. He’s averaging 33.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game on 49.8% shooting from the field and 35.2% shooting from behind the three-point line.
Mark Cuban Denies Recent Luka Doncic Claims
With the February 9 trade deadline rapidly approaching, a recent report indicated Doncic’s desire to see improvements. Tim MacMahon of ESPN recently reported that Doncic made a “strong indication” to the Mavericks front office that he wants the team to make changes at the trade deadline.
“Sources said Doncic, who hasn’t shown a desire to be involved in personnel matters in the past, has strongly indicated he wants the Mavs to upgrade before the Feb. 9 trade deadline,” MacMahon wrote.
However, MacMahon then followed that report up with a message from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who claimed that it was untrue.
“Mark Cuban denies that Luka Doncic has indicated he wants the roster to be upgraded before the trade deadline.
“Cuban: ‘Tim MacMahon got it dead wrong. Luka has never suggested, asked, demanded or discussed changes to the roster,’” MacMahon tweeted.
Spencer Dinwiddie Discusses Difficulties With Luka Doncic
While Mavericks fans (and potentially Doncic) may want the Mavericks to make changes, those narratives weigh on the other Dallas players. During a recent appearance on the Outta Pocket podcast, Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie spoke about the difficulties of dealing with the narratives that come with playing alongside Doncic.
“Luka is obviously far and away our superstar, and we have other guys who are good players obviously,” Dinwiddie said. “But because there’s not another superstar, it’s not apples to apples, it’s always gonna be Luka and the boys. So you just got to be mentally tough and be built for that off the court, because like I said, on the court he’s going to make it a lot easier.”