Nearing the Dallas Mavericks’ 2023–2023 season, it’s been a complete bust. In the space of six weeks, they went from having an exciting new look squad to not making the playoffs at all.
To exacerbate the situation, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on Saturday that there is “fear” in the Mavericks organization that star guard Luka Doncic could ask to be traded as early as next summer.
Doncic, who has openly and privately expressed severe unhappiness this season, may contemplate asking for a trade as early as the summer of 2024 if Dallas doesn’t make significant progress by then, according to team sources who spoke with ESPN. MacMahon
For Mavs supporters, that revelation along with Doncic’s depressing outburst following the team’s first of two losses to the Charlotte Hornets is a frightening mix.
Doncic expressed his frustration on the Fanatics YouTube channel. With me on the court, I believe you can see it. I don’t always feel like it’s me. simply existing in the world. I used to enjoy myself [a lot]. Grinning at the net. But it’s been really annoying. for many reasons outside of basketball.
The MacMahon story was just one more piece of awful news about the Mavericks. Dallas’ disastrous performance against the Chicago Bulls on April 7 forced them out of the playoff race.
The decision by the NBA to punt their remaining games in an attempt to improve their chances of keeping their draft pick—which would belong to the New York Knicks if it finished outside of the top 10—did not sit well with the league.
Following their decision to rest numerous important players against the Bulls, the Mavs organization was the subject of multiple stories that appeared on Saturday indicating that the NBA was beginning an investigation.
“The Dallas Mavericks’ roster decisions and game conduct with respect to last night’s Chicago Bulls-Mavericks game, including the motivations behind those actions, are the subject of an NBA investigation that the league began today,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass stated via MacMahon.
