25-under-25: Luka Doncic can still make magic for the Mavericks

Luka Doncic ranked No. 1 on The Step Back's 2023-24 25-under-25, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.

For many players on this list, we focus on what they have already accomplished in this league and what they could be capable of in the seasons to come. The latter does not apply to Doncic. He is a certified superstar, with four All-NBA First Team appearances under his belt after only five seasons in the league. The Slovenian wunderkind had every bit of hype coming into the league and has proven himself worthy of all of it as an individual. 

Short of an MVP, Doncic has accomplished everything expected of him and then some. He has gotten the Dallas Mavericks back to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since their 2011 Championship as well. The clock, however, is ticking for the Mavericks with Doncic and that will be the main storyline surrounding the Slovenian star for the 2023-24 NBA season. Doncic’s accolades and one deep postseason run have been overshadowed by shortcomings within the organization. 

Since making a draft day trade to acquire Doncic in 2018, the Mavericks front office has had some significant swings and misses while letting a few home run pitches pass them by. The first big trade the Mavericks made during Donic’s tenure with the organization was sending out two first-round picks for Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis who they then signed to a five-year contract extension. 

Over time though, it became clear this was a warning track fly ball. Porzingis struggled with injuries during his time with the Mavericks and was played off the court during their two first-round match-ups with the Los Angeles Clippers. Head coach Ty Lue’s small-ball lineups put Porzingis in less advantageous positions. He was exploited, and despite Doncic's heroics on multiple occasions, the Mavericks came up short in both their series against the Clippers. 

During the 2022 NBA trade deadline, the Mavericks decided they were done with the Porzingis experiment and traded him to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. 

In the short term, this trade proved beneficial for the Mavericks. The floor opened for Doncic and then teammate Jalen Brunson to attack opponents relentlessly in the pick-and-roll and isolation. In a 4-5 first-round match-up against the Utah Jazz, the Mavericks prevailed without Doncic to open the series. Brunson and Dinwiddie targeted Donovan Mitchell in switches, giving a runway for Doncic’s return, which was just enough for the Mavericks to prevail. 

They faced the one-seeded Suns in the next round and Doncic dominated, empowering his team to victory over the reigning Western Conference champions. He thrived in their Game 7 annihilation of the Suns on their home floor and had more points than the entire Suns' team at halftime, a stat which he was not shy about sharing he was aware of in the post-game press conference much to the chagrin of his biggest fans. 

The Mavericks met Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals and ultimately came up short in five games, but the worst was yet to come. The Mavericks opted to not extend Brunson during the 2021-22 season, and the former Villanova guard opted to sign with the New York Knicks to get the payday he deserved. He left for nothing in the summer immediately after proving himself to be a fantastic sidekick alongside Doncic.

Brunson went on to lead the Knicks to their first playoff series victory since Carmel Anthony was their star man in the 2022-23 season, and Doncic watched him do so from the sidelines. The Mavericks were not able to replace Brunson, struggled during the season, and even though they swung the first big trade of the 2023 trade deadline — acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets — they were not able to turn things around to get themselves in the playoffs and blatantly tanked to end the season. 

Doncic is on a lengthy max contract extension, running through the 2026-27 NBA season. But he has a player option in the summer of 2026, and that means the clock is officially ticking for the Mavericks with Doncic. The organization has been active, even since acquiring Irving. 

They made draft night trades to get off of Bertans contract and bring in rookies Dereck Lively II and Olivier Maxence-Prosper, as well as center Richaun Holmes. Seth Curry returned on a team-friendly two-year deal, Dwight Powell agreed on a team-friendly contract, Dante Exum was brought in following a strong season overseas, and a three-team trade netted them former Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams. 

But is it enough for the Mavericks to compete and keep Doncic, as well as Irving, happy? Those are the questions looming over Doncic and the Mavericks for this season. We are all incredibly aware of Doncic’s excellence. He’s a walking thirty-point triple-double, who is capable of willing his team to victory on any given night against any given opponent. Doncic knows that the Mavericks know that, and we all know that. It’s why they are under a microscope.

For as strong as their off-season seems on paper, the Western Conference is incredibly stacked. The reigning champion Denver Nuggets, followed by the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers in some order likely stand ahead of the Mavericks. There are also arguments for the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans if they are healthy. How about the Sacramento Kings who were a top-four team in the West last season? Or the Minnesota Timberwolves who finished the season strong? The Memphis Grizzlies who were plagued by off-court drama? The Oklahoma City Thunder with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander AND Chet Holmgren next season? The Mavericks seem just as likely to finish 10th as they are to finish 5th. 

A lot of luck and variance will determine their final slot, regardless of Doncic’s heroics. If they finish closer to the higher end of that range, and win a playoff series, the Mavericks have probably bought themselves at least another season. The lower end and a swift playoff/play-in exit could mean we’re watching Doncic’s last days in a Mavericks uniform. This season is a referendum on Dallas’ second front office since drafting Doncic. Failure will likely have significant repercussions.