Excerpted from the guide The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness by Tim MacMahon. Copyright © 2025 by Grand Central Publishing. You should purchase the guide HERE.
Then there was the matter of Dončić’s happiness, or lack thereof. The topic dominated the dialog in regards to the Mavs all through the league as a result of it was a possible domino that might change the stability of energy within the NBA. The Mavs obtained the present of unwavering loyalty from Dirk Nowitzki, the face of the franchise for a era, however Mark Cuban acknowledged that Dončić’s dedication to Dallas couldn’t be taken as a right.
“Look, gamers don’t speak like that, similar to, ‘Hey, I’m right here for the following 17 years,’” Cuban stated. “He’d wish to be right here the entire time, however we’ve obtained to earn that.”
How might the Mavs do this? Cuban’s recommended resolution was straightforward to say and troublesome to do.
“Win championships,” Cuban stated. “It’s superb how that cures all. I imply, earlier than Giannis gained, everyone was like, ‘The place’s he going? The place’s he going? He’s not staying. He’s not staying.’ Jokić, whereas they haven’t gained, da, da, da, da, da. Dirk earlier than [the Mavs won the 2010– 11 title], proper? There’s no nice participant, no celebrity, the place they don’t query, ‘What are you gonna do for those who haven’t gained but?’”
Just a few hours later, Kyrie Irving scored 19 factors within the fourth quarter because the Mavs pulled out a win over the Kings. Dallas’s slim play- in hopes had been nonetheless flickering. “Simply desperation basketball,” Irving stated postgame. “It’s not prefer it’s the primary time I’ve been in a must-win recreation, so it felt good.”
However over the following 36 hours or so, Dallas decision-makers decided that the 2 remaining dates on the Mavs’ schedule had been must-lose video games. If Dallas dropped their final two video games, they’d have about an 80 p.c probability of holding their decide coming into the lottery. In the event that they gained each, they nonetheless wanted the Thunder to lose one simply to squeak into the play-in. The decision was basically introduced when the Mavs up to date the official harm report the morning of their April 7 dwelling recreation towards the Bulls. Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Inexperienced, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wooden had been all downgraded to out attributable to minor harm points or relaxation. This was a bumbling, clear tank job. Timing was of the essence, because the Mavs and Bulls had been tied for the Tenth-best lottery odds.
However the timing was additionally awkward. It was the second annual “I Really feel Slovenia” evening on the American Airways Middle, and Dončić had missed the inaugural version the earlier season, disappointing tons of of his countrymen who had flown in for the festivities celebrating their homeland. A compromise was reached: Dončić would play the primary quarter earlier than calling it a season.
Dončić ended up enjoying one offensive possession into the second quarter, scoring on a post-up after which committing an intentional foul so he might take a look at of the sport. The intention was to permit followers to bathe Dončić with a standing ovation as he concluded the best particular person statistical season (32.4 factors, 8.6 rebounds, and eight.0 assists per recreation) in franchise historical past. As an alternative, the gang responded with a smattering of confused clapping.
Dončić became sweats at halftime and watched from the bench because the Mavs blew a 13-point lead. He appeared free and relaxed within the seconds earlier than the Mavs had been formally eradicated from play-in competition. He coated his mouth and chuckled to teammates earlier than the sport’s closing possession, when a few Mavs on two-way contracts missed three potential game-tying three-pointers, none of which drew iron.
“It’s not a lot waving the white flag,” Jason Kidd stated after the 115–112 loss, attributing the selection to Cuban and Nico Harrison, though the coach was totally on board with it behind the scenes. “Selections typically are onerous on this enterprise, and you need to make onerous choices. We’re attempting to construct a championship staff, and typically you bought to take a step again.”
The choice was made regardless of Dončić’s public protest a couple of days prior. The Mavs’ entrance workplace might dwell with making Dončić mad for a second if the scheming helped the franchise bounce again from this debacle of a season. The true catastrophe could be if Harrison and his employees did not make the drastic roster upgrades the Mavs desperately wanted and, as a consequence, couldn’t make a sensible case that the franchise was on the trail towards competition. They’d restricted property for this roster reconstruction, and the lottery decide would rank as the most effective amongst them.
“As soon as we didn’t management our personal future, it was like, all proper, we are able to’t be silly,” Harrison stated later, properly after the league workplace’s investigation reached the plain conclusion, leading to a harshly worded assertion and a $750,000 effective. “The worst-case situation was we had been 11 versus being 10— and also you don’t make the play-in and don’t get your decide. Then I feel I’d in all probability look extra silly than doing it the alternative means.”
The Mavs carried out their media exit interviews instantly after a bunch of backups wrapped up this season to overlook with a blowout dwelling loss to the Spurs, whose extra conventional tank job had already secured them a bottom-three file, maximizing their odds to win the lottery that in the end delivered Wembanyama to San Antonio. Dončić didn’t speak after the earlier recreation, when the Mavs pulled the plug, and didn’t have a lot to say about that matter aside from that he “didn’t like that call.” Nonetheless, he downplayed the specter of him leaving Dallas within the close to future. He wasn’t keen on ESPN reporting that the group feared Dončić might request a commerce as quickly because the summer season of 2024 if the Mavs didn’t make main progress the following season.
“It was humorous, you realize, as a result of I didn’t know that was true,” Dončić stated sarcastically. “I didn’t say it.”
Dončić didn’t should say a phrase a couple of commerce request for the Mavs’ entrance workplace to function with that sense of urgency. That’s the truth of the modern- day NBA. The sense from individuals who knew Dončić properly was that he genuinely loved Dallas and wouldn’t search for causes to go away, however the Mavs had to ensure these causes— like one other shedding season— weren’t smacking him within the face.
“I feel our job actually to maintain Luka pleased, if you’ll, is surrounding him by the appropriate gamers to assist him win,” Harrison stated a few days later. “And I feel Luka’s a expertise that deserves that.”
However Dončić needed to ease the strain, at the least publicly, earlier than heading again to Slovenia for the summer season. “I’m pleased right here, so there’s nothing to fret [about],” Dončić stated.
After all, Dončić wasn’t pleased in regards to the Mavs’ 38–44 file and lacking the playoffs for the primary time since his rookie yr. “Some issues obtained to vary, for positive,” Dončić acknowledged. It was an embarrassing approach to finish the season for a perennial MVP candidate, particularly after Irving’s midseason arrival created a lot pleasure. However Dallas went 7– 18 after the duo’s debut collectively, falling from fourth within the West to an early trip. The Mavs had been solely 5– 11 in video games Dončić and Irving performed collectively, which is the worst successful proportion (.313) for a pair of teammates who had been each All-Stars because the ABA- NBA merger in 1976–77, in line with ESPN Stats and Data analysis. However Dončić remained assured that the co-stars might type the muse of a contender.
“I feel it’s an ideal match,” Dončić stated. “Clearly persons are going to say no [and] have a look at the outcomes we’re having, however like I stated, chemistry and relationships takes time. I want he can nonetheless be right here.”
Harrison reiterated throughout his season-ending media availability that re-signing Irving could be the Mavs’ prime summer season precedence. Harrison expressed optimism that it will occur, citing feedback Irving had repeatedly made “about how he feels right here, how he feels appreciated, how he feels accepted and allowed to be himself.” Harrison firmly believed that the Dončić-Irving duo might work, regardless of proof on the contrary.
“I actually assume it’s the gamers round them . . . sort of figuring out their position with having these two guys out on the ground on the identical time,” Harrison stated, emphasizing the necessity for good defenders who had excessive basketball IQs to fill out the supporting solid. “I feel that’s the factor that we have to work on.”
Irving opted out of the exit interviews with the media and managed to steer fully away from the topic coming into his free company summer season, leaving folks to wonder if his silence spoke volumes.
Irving principally saved a low profile whereas dwelling and coaching in Los Angeles in the course of the offseason. However he raised eyebrows with a few very public appearances, attending a pair of Lakers dwelling playoff video games. His seats had been straight throughout from the house bench. On each events, after LeBron James was launched within the beginning lineups, he jogged over to greet Irving. They exchanged hugs and their personalized handshake from their days collectively in Cleveland. It positive felt like pre-free company flirting, just like Irving’s notorious All-Star hallway chat with Kevin Durant months earlier than they grew to become a package deal deal headed to Brooklyn.
Hypothesis in regards to the Lakers pursuing Irving had loads of gas. LA might have made a reliable bid by bidding farewell to free brokers level guard D’Angelo Russell and ahead Rui Hachimura and making a smaller salary-dump commerce or two. Nonetheless, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka instantly hushed that dialog, declaring throughout his exit interview that the franchise deliberate to lean into continuity. Pelinka adopted by way of on that plan, because the Lakers by no means confirmed any curiosity in signing Irving.
Just a few weeks earlier than free company formally opened, there have been studies that Irving deliberate to recruit James to hitch him in Dallas. It was a juicy twist— if solely it had been even remotely possible. James wasn’t a free agent. Even when he shockingly determined to pressure a commerce— leaving the leisure empire he had inbuilt LA simply as his son Bronny entered his freshman yr at close by USC— the Mavs had no approach to make a suggestion to the Lakers wherever near the suitable worth.
Reviews earlier than free company about Irving intending to fulfill with the Phoenix Suns had been simply as foolish. The Suns, who had simply traded for Bradley Beal to play alongside Durant and Devin Booker, might solely supply the veteran’s minimal. There simply wasn’t a lot of a marketplace for Irving outdoors of Dallas, definitely not above the midlevel exception.
The Mavs had been providing $120 million assured over three years, plus one other $6 million in incentives tied to video games performed and wins. Irving, whose agent is his stepmom Shetellia Riley Irving, formally agreed to the deal within the opening hour of free company. The Mavs acquired some media criticism for bidding towards themselves, however Harrison’s objective wasn’t to win the negotiation. It was to have a cheerful Irving on a roster that had flexibility to be upgraded. This deal completed that, awarding Irving a contract that mirrored his manufacturing and standing whereas offering the Mavs sufficient wiggle room throughout the wage cap guidelines to have their midlevel exception obtainable.
“It wasn’t too troublesome of a course of,” Irving stated when he lastly met with the media once more in the course of the first week of coaching camp. “Had Dallas as primary on my listing. Clearly I appeared elsewhere— wage cap alternatives, the place I might slot in with different guys across the league— however there simply wasn’t a lot area. And me being 31 now, I needed to have a special vantage level, and I felt like I couldn’t simply settle right here however be pleased to come back again right here and be welcomed again with a heat embrace.”
Excerpted from the guide The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness by Tim MacMahon. Copyright © 2025 by Grand Central Publishing. You should purchase the guide HERE.
