Luka Doncic Won't Play vs. Cavaliers with Knee Injury Diagnosed as Contusion

Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic will miss Saturday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a knee contusion, according to Bobby Karalla of the team's official website. 

While Doncic has missed a handful of games and dealt with knee and ankle concerns, he has been largely durable and provided a silver lining for the Mavericks in an otherwise lost season.

The No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft wasted little time proving he can play at the NBA level after winning a Euroleague MVP and championship and is well on his way to Rookie of the Year.

He has stuffed the stat sheet all season with 21.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game behind 33.9 percent shooting from three-point range and figures to be the central building block for the Mavericks for years to come.

There is no need to rush him back from this setback, though, seeing how the team is playing out the string and not in contention for a playoff spot. His long-term future is far more important than his ability to get back on the court as quickly as possible.

Look for Dallas to continue turning to the combination of Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson and Courtney Lee in the backcourt while Doncic is out.