The Dallas Mavericks have been in the news as of late.
You would expect to hear about how they can take the positives from this season and move forward.
There should be some optimism with this franchise.
They have a young superstar in Luka Doncic and have made the playoffs in two straight seasons.
There might be a little bit of roster tinkering, but that should be it.
However, the biggest story about the Mavericks is their dysfunction.
The Mavericks have had a rough couple of weeks with so many rumors being leaked in the media.
This offseason is when Doncic can sign his supermax contract extension.
Now with all of this turmoil, perhaps the Mavericks are ruining their chances to do so.
Will Doncic re-sign with the Mavericks, or try to leave a potential sinking ship?
What Are The Mavericks Doing?
Where do you even begin with this organization?
Their owner, Mark Cuban, is not like most owners.
He has a big hand in decisions around the team, including the roster.
He hired one of his friends, Haralabos Voulgaris, to focus on analytics.
However, his voice has become too prominent and has actually been a major influence regarding the roster.
This is disrespectful to someone like former President of Basketball Operations, Donnie Nelson.
Nelson had been with the organization for 23 years.
However, he was somewhat replaced by a new guy in the franchise.
Nelson decided that it was time to part ways.
Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson and the franchise have decided to part ways, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2021
This man has been a fixture for so long and constructed several winning teams.
Now he is out.
The same has happened to their long-time head coach, Rick Carlisle.
Carlisle was the head coach for 13 seasons and helped lead them to their first ever NBA championship.
However, he has decided to step away from the job.
Rick Carlisle — who led Dallas to the 2011 NBA championship — informed Mavericks owner Mark Cuban today that he won't be returning as coach next season, Carlisle told ESPN. Carlisle had two years left on his contract. He spent 13 seasons as Mavericks coach.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 17, 2021
Two long-time legends within the organization are now gone.
Doncic has only been there for three seasons, but these losses can hinder the future of the Mavericks.
Will Luka Doncic Leave?
Nobody knows what Doncic is going to do.
The most likely outcome is that he will sign the supermax this offseason.
No other superstar players have decided against re-signing after their rookie deal is up.
The likelihood of Doncic being the first player to do it is not bright.
However, that does not mean he wants to be there for the future.
We have seen players demand trades after re-signing.
Anthony Davis is the latest example of that.
There are reports of the Mavericks being scared he doesn’t want to be there long term.
While Luka Doncic intends to sign a supermax extension with the Mavericks this summer, “dysfunction” in the front office and the team’s inability to build a contender “could impact his current desire” to stay in Dallas long-term, per @tim_cato and @sam_amick pic.twitter.com/OjTm3frrPi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 14, 2021
Doncic did say after he was eliminated that he will sign that supermax contract.
The problem will be two years after that contract kicks in.
That is the time for the Mavericks to be concerned about.
The franchise is beginning to crumble.
This is not the time to do so.
Doncic is a young superstar.
He needs a team to be molded for his play.
However, they need the right cast for the job.
Doncic is extremely competitive and demands winning.
The Mavericks need to focus on winning and not power struggles, before it is too late.
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