Luka Doncic is happy in Dallas but what about Kyrie Irving’s future?
Mavericks fans can now rest easy after their biggest star made it clear that he has no intentions of going anywhere. That being said, a change has got to come.
With the Mavericks having failed to make the playoffs this year, concerns about their talisman’s potential departure were logical, but following his comments it would appear there is nothing to worry about. At least for the time being.
Luka Doncic clears the air on trade request rumors
On Sunday, Luka Doncic delivered a message that would have undoubtedly been music to the airs of Dallas Mavericks fans. Speaking at his end-of-season media session, the Slovenian star laid to rest the growing fears about his future with the franchise. Indeed, Doncic made things very clear: “I’m happy here,” Doncic said, “So there’s nothing to worry [about].”
Doncic’s comments come on the back of a recent report which indicated that some in the Mavericks front office were beginning to be concerned about whether the 24-year-old would request a trade in the wake of the team’s failure to make the playoffs this season. For his part, Doncic even referred to the report as “funny” before admitting that he didn’t know that such fears existed within the organization. Of course, despite sense of relief surrounding his declaration, it was also interesting to note that former Rookie of the Year also indicated that the team can’t continue as it is. “Something’s got to change, for sure,” Doncic said. “I mean, last year we went to Western Conference finals. We were having fun. I always talk about the chemistry we had. It was great. But something’s got to change for sure.”
Will the Mavericks keep Kyrie Irving? Luka Doncic hopes so
Despite the underwhelming returns that we got from the Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic pairing following the former Nets point guard’s move to Dallas in February, it’s probably too early to pass judgement on the partnership between the two All-Stars. To that end, the first order of business for the franchise will be to retain Irving’s services this offseason, something that Doncic himself is hoping to see happen as he looks forward to building chemistry with his new teammate. “I think it’s a great fit,” Doncic said of playing with Irving. “Obviously people are going to say no [and] look at the results we are having, but like I said, chemistry and relationships takes time. I wish he can still be here.”
Kyrie Irving’s situation could get complicated
It’s got to be said that there is a slight catch to Kyrie Irving’s future with the Mavericks and that’s his upcoming free agency. Reason would dictate that Irving is likely to have a number of suitors, meaning there is the possibility that Dallas could lose him for nothing after trading a number of assets to get him. It goes without saying that such a situation would not be ideal to say the least. On the other hand, the Mavericks will have to have an honest conversation about whether Irving is worth the trouble. To date, the numbers aren’t encouraging and while Doncic’s point about relationships taking time is a valid one, the question is just how much time can they afford to wait for a return on investment? Ultimately, Irving’s future is just one of several issues that Dallas needs to solve in a hurry, but at least they can now remove Luka Doncic from the to-do list.