With Kyrie Irving Out And Luka Dončić In L.A., Mavericks’ ‘future’ Looks Hazy
With Kyrie Irving Out And Luka Dončić In L.A., Mavericks’ ‘future’ Looks Hazy
Blog Article
DALLAS — Nico Harrison chose to shorten the Dallas Mavericks’ title contention window in February when he traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Dallas general manager said he believed that with a team built around 31-year-old Anthony Davis and 32-year-old Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks only had a handful of opportunities soon to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“The future to me is three, four years from now,” Harrison said on Feb. 2. “Ten years from now, I don’t know. They’ll probably bury me and J (Jason Kidd) by then. Or, we bury ourselves.”
One of those three or four years is now gone. Maybe even two.
The Mavericks (32-30) — who could credibly tell themselves they were always a threat to make a deep playoff run as long as Dončić was on the roster — now stumble into a future where it’s unclear if they can be contenders again.
On Monday, Irving left the first quarter of a game against the Sacramento Kings with a knee injury. Medical imaging revealed a torn ACL, which the Mavericks officially confirmed Tuesday afternoon. The typical recovery from an ACL injury can take anywhere between nine and 12 months, meaning that Irving is out for the remainder of this season and will almost certainly miss significant time next season.
Irving was not just the best player after they dealt Dončić; he was their locker-room leader.
“That’s our guy right there,” Mavericks forward Naji Marshall said. “He does everything for the team. So special.”
Irving’s spirit, as much as his scoring and playmaking, allowed Dallas to tread water after the organization’s shocking decision to trade a perennial MVP candidate in the middle of the night. Irving put on a brave face after he suffered the devastating injury, stepping to the free-throw line and knocking down both shots with tears streaming down his face.
But the injury was so painful that Irving could barely put weight on his left leg as he was helped back toward the locker room.
Increasing Irving’s workload was one of the obvious concerns about moving Dončić. While Irving is as brilliant as anyone with the ball in his hands, he hasn’t been the most durable player in his 14-year career. Irving played in more than 60 games only four times in his first 13 years. Mavericks staff watched Irving miss 24 games last season and five games in January with a bulging disc in his back, yet they still thought it was wise to foist more responsibility on him.
Irving played in 10 full games after the Dončić trade. The 39.3 minutes he averaged in those contests was the most of any NBA player over that stretch.
This summer, Irving will have a decision to make regarding his contract. He has a $44 million player option for next season. If Irving values long-term security, he can decline the player option and sign a five-year deal with Dallas that would pay him over $300 million. Another option is for Irving to contractually align himself with Davis, who is under contract for $54.1 million in 2025-26, $58.5 million in 2026-27 and has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
Davis turns 32 next week and has a long injury history, too. Davis was able to play in 76 games last season, but in the three before, he missed an average of 35.3 games per season. Davis lasted 2 1/2 quarters with the Mavericks before suffering a left adductor strain that still has him sidelined.
While Harrison cited Dončić not fitting into the Mavericks’ culture as one of the reasons he made the trade, the team also had concerns about Dončić being physically able to hold up over the next half-decade, The Athletic reported in February.
Harrison proceeded with the deal even though Dončić’s track record of availability was better than Irving’s or Davis’. Dončić played in more than 60 games in each of his first six NBA seasons. He suffered a left calf strain on Dec. 25, which caused him to miss 22 games, but he has since returned to action and been a part of five consecutive Lakers wins.
The Lakers (38-21), who have moved to second place in the Western Conference standings, could challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West this season. The Mavericks, who are currently in 10th place, are now at risk of not qualifying for the postseason at all.
In a little more than one month, the Mavericks’ chances at contending in the short term and long term are gone. The team’s decision to trade Dončić and the devastating news about Irving this week have all but slammed shut the team’s contention window.