Luka Dončić Says He Will Play for Mavs vs. Kings Despite Rumors of Being Shut Down

Despite rumors that the Dallas Mavericks might consider shutting down Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving as the team falls further back of the final play-in tournament berth, the Slovenian superstar said he plans to continue to play.

"I'm playing tomorrow," he told reporters Tuesday. "When there's still a chance, I'm gonna play. So that's not gonna happen yet."

There's no doubt that the Mavs' postseason aspirations are on life support. While they are one game back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the final play-in berth, the Thunder hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, so Dallas needs to finish ahead of them in the standings.

So the Mavericks need to either win out, and hope OKC loses twice, or the Mavs need to finish the season 2-1 and hope the Thunder lose their three remaining games. A tall task, indeed.

"There's little chance," Dončić acknowledged. "We all know that, but like I said, as long as there's a chance, I'll play."

As of now, he and Irving are listed as probable for Wednesday's matchup with the playoff-bound Sacramento Kings. Dallas then will face the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs to close the season. The Thunder will take on the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies, a tough slate.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Mavs held "internal discussions about shutting down Dončić and Irving for the final three games, a scenario that would have prioritized protecting lottery position over chasing the slim chance of qualifying for the play-in tournament."

The Mavericks owe the New York Knicks a top-10-protected pick in the 2023 NBA draft. In the current standings the Mavericks would have the 10th overall pick, though the lottery could shake things up in that regard. Losing out might improve their draft positioning, however.

"I think they knew that I wouldn't want to do it," Dončić said of the possibility of being shut down to end the season, saying the team didn't hold any talks with him about that scenario. "They know me like that, so I think it was not a big discussion."