Excerpted from the guide The Surprise Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness by Tim MacMahon. Copyright © 2025 by Grand Central Publishing. You should buy the guide HERE.
Then there was the matter of Dončić’s happiness, or lack thereof. The topic dominated the dialog concerning the Mavs all through the league as a result of it was a possible domino that would change the stability of energy within the NBA. The Mavs received the reward 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 without any consideration.
“Look, gamers don’t speak like that, identical 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 received to earn that.”
How might the Mavs do this? Cuban’s prompt answer was simple to say and tough to do.
“Win championships,” Cuban stated. “It’s wonderful how that cures all. I imply, earlier than Giannis gained, all people 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 famous person, 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 sport, 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 % probability of preserving their choose getting 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 damage report the morning of their April 7 dwelling sport in opposition to the Bulls. Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Inexperienced, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wooden had been all downgraded to out attributable to minor damage 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 try 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 sport) in franchise historical past. As an alternative, the gang responded with a smattering of confused clapping.
Dončić become 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 rivalry. He lined his mouth and chuckled to teammates earlier than the sport’s remaining 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 laborious on this enterprise, and it’s important to make laborious selections. 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 stay with making Dončić mad for a second if the scheming helped the franchise bounce again from this debacle of a season. The actual catastrophe can be if Harrison and his employees didn’t make the drastic roster upgrades the Mavs desperately wanted and, as a consequence, couldn’t make a practical case that the franchise was on the trail towards rivalry. That they had restricted belongings for this roster reconstruction, and the lottery choose would rank as the very best amongst them.
“As soon as we didn’t management our personal future, it was like, all proper, we will’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 high-quality. “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 choose. Then I believe I might in all probability look extra silly than doing it the other manner.”
The Mavs performed their media exit interviews instantly after a bunch of backups wrapped up this season to neglect 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 finally delivered Wembanyama to San Antonio. Dončić didn’t speak after the earlier sport, 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 time of 2024 if the Mavs didn’t make main progress the following season.
“It was humorous, you recognize, as a result of I didn’t know that was true,” Dončić stated sarcastically. “I didn’t say it.”
Dončić didn’t need to say a phrase a couple of commerce request for the Mavs’ entrance workplace to function with that sense of urgency. That’s the fact 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 verify these causes— like one other dropping season— weren’t smacking him within the face.
“I believe our job actually to maintain Luka comfortable, if you’ll, is surrounding him by the best gamers to assist him win,” Harrison stated a few days later. “And I believe Luka’s a expertise that deserves that.”
However Dončić needed to ease the stress, at the very least publicly, earlier than heading again to Slovenia for the summer time. “I’m comfortable right here, so there’s nothing to fret [about],” Dončić stated.
After all, Dončić wasn’t comfortable concerning the Mavs’ 38–44 file and lacking the playoffs for the primary time since his rookie 12 months. “Some issues received to alter, for positive,” Dončić acknowledged. It was an embarrassing solution 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 kind the inspiration of a contender.
“I believe it’s a fantastic match,” Dončić stated. “Clearly individuals 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 can be the Mavs’ high summer time 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 . . . form of realizing their function with having these two guys out on the ground on the similar time,” Harrison stated, emphasizing the necessity for good defenders who had excessive basketball IQs to fill out the supporting forged. “I believe that’s the factor that we have to work on.”
Irving opted out of the exit interviews with the media and managed to steer utterly away from the topic getting into his free company summer time, leaving folks to wonder if his silence spoke volumes.
Irving principally stored a low profile whereas residing and coaching in Los Angeles through 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 instantly 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, much like Irving’s notorious All-Star hallway chat with Kevin Durant months earlier than they turned a package deal deal headed to Brooklyn.
Hypothesis concerning the Lakers pursuing Irving had loads of gasoline. LA might have made a authentic 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 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 stories 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 drive a commerce— leaving the leisure empire he had inbuilt LA simply as his son Bronny entered his freshman 12 months at close by USC— the Mavs had no solution to make a proposal to the Lakers wherever near the suitable worth.
Experiences 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 exterior 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 obtained some media criticism for bidding in opposition to themselves, however Harrison’s aim wasn’t to win the negotiation. It was to have a contented 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 inside the wage cap guidelines to have their midlevel exception out there.
“It wasn’t too tough of a course of,” Irving stated when he lastly met with the media once more through the first week of coaching camp. “Had Dallas as primary on my checklist. 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 house. 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 comfortable to return again right here and be welcomed again with a heat embrace.”
Excerpted from the guide The Surprise Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness by Tim MacMahon. Copyright © 2025 by Grand Central Publishing. You should buy the guide HERE.
