Mavs' Luka Dončić Plans to Play in Olympic Qualifiers for Slovenia After NBA Finals

This could be the summer of Luka Dončić.

First, he is going to attempt to lead his Dallas Mavericks to an NBA championship with a victory over the Boston Celtics in the Finals. Then, he is going to attempt to lead Slovenia to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"If it's good, I am going to play," Dončić said Wednesday when discussing his knee and possibly participating in the Olympic qualifiers, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

While the Mavericks star has dealt with a knee injury at times during the playoffs, it hasn't prevented him from taking the court.

Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals will also be his first time playing in a week since Dallas closed out the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, so he should be as fresh as he's been throughout the playoffs.

That's a concerning sign for Boston since he just averaged 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from deep during the victory over the Timberwolves.

It is also concerning for Slovenia's opponents if he ends up playing in the qualifying tournament.

Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press noted Dončić was included among the list of 16 players Slovenia released Wednesday who are considered candidates to be on the team during the qualifying tournament that starts on July 2.

The United States, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, South Sudan, Serbia and Australia have already qualified for the Olympics, and 24 other teams will compete in four different tournaments with six teams each to determine the final four spots in the 12-country field.

The countries that win those four qualifying tournaments will be those four participants, which means Slovenia would have to outlast Greece, the Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Croatia and Egypt in its tournament to have a chance for gold in Paris.

Having Dončić, who is one of the top players in the entire world, available could make the difference between qualifying and watching the Olympics from home.