Luka Doncic to Rest Wrist Injury; Mavs Reportedly to Offer $207M Contract This Week
August 8, 2021
Luka Doncic wants to give his injured wrist some time to rest now that the Olympics are over. His NBA club in Dallas would likely prefer if he would just use it to sign his name next week.
According to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News, Mavericks governor Mark Cuban, head coach Jason Kidd, general manager Nico Harrison and front office advisor Dirk Nowitzki will fly to Doncic's hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia, to offer the franchise star a five-year, $207 million max extension.
It's the same deal Trae Young agreed to with the Atlanta Hawks last week as the two cornerstones of the 2018 draft continue their ascension in the league. Before Doncic gets back to dominating in Dallas, he just wants to make sure he's able to take enough time off to feel rejuvenated.
"My wrist is going to be fine," Doncic said. "I need a couple of days off from basketball. I’ve had every day basketball since the beginning of NBA season. A lot of games, so I need a couple days off."
There's no question Doncic has earned the extension through his first three seasons in Dallas.
After averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists during his rookie season, the guard has steadily improved each year, averaging 27.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists in 2020-21. Those numbers increased considerably in the postseason, where Doncic averaged 35.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.3 assists in a seven-game first-round series loss to the Los Angeles Clippers this summer.
As Kidd prepares to take over for Rick Carlisle as head coach, it makes sense the team would want to ensure Doncic is under contract for as long as possible.
The team's core is continuing to take shape with Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith and a number of front court options led by Kristaps Porzingis.
If Doncic signs, he'll be locked in with Dallas through the 2026-27 season and wouldn't be scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency until his age-28 season. At that point, the Slovenian should be well into the prime of his career and in line to receive another max deal if his current trajectory continues.
Either way, the Mavs don't want to miss out on the years to come with Doncic at the helm of the offense.