(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
For the past couple of years, people have speculated whether Luka Doncic will finish his career with the Dallas Mavericks.
He could follow in Dirk Nowitzki’s steps and become a franchise legend by choosing to play his entire career there, yet some think he’s not cut from that same cloth.
Nowitzki played in a different era, and players nowadays often take a more selfish approach, which is perfectly fine and valid as well.
However, that leaves teams like the Mavericks often trying to convince their stars to stay, which gives them little-to-no leverage in negotiations.
Notably, ESPN analyst Tim Bontemps believes Mark Cuban and the Mavs have reached that point with Luka already.
Per Bontemps, it’ll take quite a lot for them to convince Doncic that they can compete at the highest level after the Kyrie Irving fiasco, especially considering how unhappy he’s been since Uncle Drew arrived in Texas.
“[The Mavs] put themselves in a really, really difficult spot. … It’s going to be a long, hard road for Dallas to do enough to keep Luka Dončić happy in Dallas and frankly, I think it’s going to be really difficult to do it.”
—@TimBontemps pic.twitter.com/RYnIGX3OQa
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 7, 2023
Of course, blaming Kyrie for the team’s shortcomings would be inaccurate and unfair.
He’s put up solid numbers, and he’s not responsible for the team failing to add defenders around them.
But Doncic has publicly acknowledged that he’s not having fun anymore, and he’s got a history of temper tantrums.
Doncic has often left his competitiveness get the best of him, as happens with most young players when they first enter the league.
Now, the Mavs need to make sure that that competitive spirit doesn’t get in the way of their future together, as they just can’t afford to lose such a once-in-a-lifetime talent.
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