Mavericks get less than ideal injury news on Luka Doncic ahead of 2024-25 NBA season

Mavericks fans got some sour news on Wednesday, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that superstar Luka Doncic will miss the beginning of Mavs training camp with a left calf contusion, and will be re-evaluated in one week.

Dallas kicks off preseason play on Oct. 7 against Memphis, then plays Utah on Oct. 10. One week from this report would be Oct. 9, so Doncic could potentially play in that game against Utah but don't expect Dallas to rush back their superstar during the preseason. With an injury as vague as a "contusion," the Mavs will be as careful as possible and it wouldn't be a shock if Doncic doesn't play at all in preseason. At this point in his career, preseason is a tune-up for Doncic, and the most important part of these games is that no one gets hurt.

If that's the case, then the first time we see the trio of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and new Maverick Klay Thompson could be Oct. 24 when the Mavericks open their season against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

For the most part, Doncic has stayed healthy throughout his career. He's never been an every-night player and has been bothered by minor ailments here and there, but he's avoided major injuries during his six years with Dallas, never playing fewer than 61 games in a season. This seems to be another one of those ailments rather than a detrimental injury.

Luka Doncic coming off of career year

An injury setback before the season starts is a bummer for Doncic, who is coming off a 2023-24 season where he set career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, and three-point percentage. He and Kyrie Irving's brilliance, along with the addition of all-time great shooter Klay Thompson, should be a recipe for success for a Dallas team that is coming off a magical Finals run. Luka just needs to shake off this injury before that can get underway.