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Report: 'No Unknown Incident' with Luka Doncic, Porzingis to Spark Change in Dynamic
May 20, 2021
Ahead of their playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, the partnership between Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis with the Dallas Mavericks has come back into the spotlight.
Per Tim Cato of The Athletic, there is "no unknown incident" between Doncic and Porzingis that has caused the apparent strain in their relationship.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan's K&C Masterpiece Show (h/t Sam Quinn of CBS Sports), Mavs owner Mark Cuban alluded to "dust-ups" involving his two best players.
"On the court they are fine," Cuban said. "I mean, coaches coach, and coach kind of runs the show so everything gets worked out on the court. That's not to say there aren't dust-ups, because there are."
Cato noted that the dynamic between Doncic and Porzingis "has seemed to deteriorate over time."
There was speculation during the regular season that the Mavs were considering trades involving Porzingis.
B/R's Jake Fischer reported in February that Dallas "quietly gauged" the market for the 25-year-old.
Prior to the trade deadline on March 25, Mike Fisher of Dallas Basketball reported that opposing teams were "feeling out" the Mavericks about a potential deal for Porzingis.
Cuban went on Live with Kelly and Ryan in March and said in no uncertain terms that a Porzingis trade is "definitely not gonna happen."
Porzingis has dealt with injuries throughout his career, but that didn't preclude the Mavericks from signing him to a five-year, $158.2 million extension in June 2019. He missed 29 games this season, including 10 of 11 games from April 24-May 11 with right knee soreness.
The Latvian star did play well after the All-Star break, averaging 20.1 points on 40.2 percent three-point shooting and 9.3 rebounds in 23 starts.