ESPN: Luka Doncic Hasn't Shown Interest in Recruiting Players To Mavericks
July 15, 2022
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic reportedly hasn't taken an active role in recruitiing for the Mavs in free agency.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon (h/t RealGM) spoke on Doncic's role in the Mavericks' free-agent pursuits, saying: "They seek his input, but he's not heavily involved in personnel decisions. He has not shown interest in being heavily involved. He spends much of his offseason in Europe. He's not a guy who has shown the desire to be a recruiter."
The Mavericks experienced a big loss in free agency this offseason when guard Jalen Brunson signed with the New York Knicks, but they acquired forward Christian Wood in a trade with the Houston Rockets and signed center JaVale McGee.
If Doncic is indeed taking a backseat approach when it comes to the Mavs' personnel decisions, that is the opposite of how some of the other biggest NBA stars operate, with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James standing out as the prime example.
The 23-year-old Doncic is perhaps more concerned with controlling what he can on the court, and he has done a spectacular job of that during his career.
In four NBA seasons, he is a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, plus he won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2019.
Last season was one of Doncic's best from a statistical standpoint, as he averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 3.1 three-pointers made and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc.
He also led the Mavericks to their best finish since he entered the league, as they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before falling to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
In 15 postseason games, Doncic led the NBA in scoring with 31.7 points per contest, marking the second consecutive playoffs he accomplished that feat. He also averaged 9.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 3.4 treys and 1.8 steals.
Doncic also managed all of that without a second superstar on the roster, which is uncommon in this era of the NBA.
The Mavs may face an uphill battle when it comes to returning to the Western Conference Finals or even improving on that finish next season since Brunson was the closest thing Dallas had to a second star.
Wood and McGee are strong additions to the frontcourt, but Doncic is a bit light on backcourt running mates as of now, with Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr. as the only established options.
It may not have made much of a difference if Doncic had gone out and recruited since the Mavs didn't have much to spend in free agency, but playing alongside a talent like Doncic in a major city like Dallas is undoubtedly a draw.
As currently constructed, the Mavericks are unquestionably a playoff team and would likely be a tough out, but they may need to make a big move via trade before or during the season in order to be a true championship contender.