KEY POINTS

  • Luka Doncic’s issue with a team executive is unlikely to prevent him from inking a supermax contract
  • Kristaps Porzingis is seen as the player most likely to leave Dallas this summer
  • Mavs owner bares that Porzingis and Doncic are not exactly friends.

The Dallas Mavericks are expected to hand Luka Doncic a supermax contract, and the Slovenian superstar seems to be amenable to it.

However, that was until word broke out that there seems to be some dissension among the ranks.

According to a report from The Athletic, all is not well with Doncic and Bob Voulgaris, the director of quantitative research and development.

It appears the friction developed ever since the 22-year-old snapped at the front office executive because of a turnover in one of their games.

Worth noting here is that Voulgaris has become an influential voice from the Mavericks’ end.

While it appears to be a concern, there are some who feel that it will not have a major impact on locking up the Mavericks star guard.

Doncic is eligible to get a $200 million contract extension this summer. Based on his response to reporters when asked if he plans to sign it, he had a short and quirky answer on it.

“I think you know the answer,” Doncic replied with a smile.

The Mavericks were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs, capping an erratic 2020-21 NBA season.

Regardless, it seemed pretty clear that Doncic was the new top dog of the Mark Cuban-owned franchise.

However, the Mavs have to deal with other things–particularly the case of Kristaps Porzingis.

After a questionable post-season performance, Cuban admitted that Porzingis and Doncic are not exactly friends.

Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic is the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year. In this picture, Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, December 16, 2018. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Latvian center also appeared to take a swipe at Doncic in one of the post-game scrums when Doncic finished with a high-scoring game.

He was quoted saying that “the ball actually moved tonight” and most treated this in a different light.

Talk is ripe that Porzingis is likely to be dangled to other teams in the offseason. So far, no club has come forward to pitch a deal to the Mavericks for the 7-foot-3 cager.

Regardless, it seems pretty clear that Doncic is the man of the moment. The Mavericks are expected to do everything they can to make sure that the Slovenian stays in Dallas for a long time.

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