Luka Doncic Reportedly Not Expected to Play in Summer League for Mavericks

While many recently drafted rookies will soon participate in NBA Summer League, don't expect the No. 3 overall pick to be on the court.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Friday that the Dallas Mavericks are not expected to have Luka Doncic participate in the summer league. The reasoning? The team doesn't want to overwork the 19-year-old after a long EuroLeague season, one that included a championship run.

"We've got to understand that he is 19," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said, via MacMahon. "NBA stardom doesn't happen overnight. It's going to be a process, and we've got to protect him as well as be excited for him to get on the floor and do the things that he's done so well in Europe."

Doncic was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft but was ultimately traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the rights to former Oklahoma Sooners star Trae Young.

While the majority of this year's draftees entered the league via college, Doncic has been playing professionally for Real Madrid for a few years.

Real Madrid won the Spanish league championship just days before the draft Tuesday. Doncic played in 64 games this season and was named the EuroLeague MVP. With the NBA regular season set to tip off in October, Dallas wants to make sure the point guard is as fresh as possible as he prepares for the grind of an 82-game season.