The Dallas Mavericks’ season didn’t end on a high note.
They sat out their starters down the stretch, and it didn’t even seem like they actually tried to make the play-in tournament at all.
That wasn’t a good look for a team that claimed to be in the mix for a championship, especially just months after trading several assets away to land Kyrie Irving.
Jason Kidd’s team chose to pursue a top-10 pick instead of a first-round playoff exit, prompting plenty of criticism on social media and among NBA colleagues.
Moreover, that raised speculation about Luka Doncic’s future with the team.
The Mavs are Doncic’s team, but he admitted that he wasn’t happy this season, and getting the ball out of his hands might have had something to do with that.
That’s why some reports stated that the Mavs fear that Doncic could become the next superstar to request a trade, and why he wanted to be quick to dismiss that narrative.
Luka Doncic was asked about the Dallas Mavericks feeling they need to "earn" his loyalty to avoid him being the next superstar to ask for a trade.
"I saw the report. I don't know who, somebody said that I was going to request a trade. It was funny because I didn't know that was… pic.twitter.com/SNwrtnL8eJ
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) April 9, 2023
The former Real Madrid star shut down those rumors by stating that he’s happy in Dallas and that he hasn’t said anything about the team having to win his loyalty.
Nonetheless, this wouldn’t be the first time that we’ve seen and heard something like this.
NBA teams need to go the extra mile to try and keep their stars happy, and Doncic is far from satisfied right now.
He’s still under contract for the foreseeable future, but you never know what can happen in this league.
NEXT: Fans React To NBA's Statement About Investigating The Dallas Mavericks