Luka Doncic says he is happy in Dallas: “There’s nothing to worry”

Luka Doncic attempted to ease concerns about his long-term commitment to the Dallas Mavericks after the team’s disappointing season ended with a 138-117 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavs finished 38-44 and 11th in the Western Conference, their first losing season since Doncic’s rookie year in 2017-18. Doncic recently acknowledged that he was more frustrated than he had ever been during his five-year career, pointing to the Mavs’ struggles and issues in his private life. He said that such frustration is “normal” when a team is losing as often as they were, as reported by ESPN.

“I’m happy here, so there’s nothing to worry [about],” Doncic said after sitting out the Mavericks’ 138-117 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Mavs finished with the 10th-best lottery odds, an important development with Dallas owing the New York Knicks a top-10-protected pick. The NBA is investigating the Mavs’ “roster decisions and game conduct” against the Bulls, league spokesman Mike Bass said Saturday. Doncic played only 12 minutes and 35 seconds against the Bulls on Friday, then sat out Sunday’s season finale.

“I didn’t like that decision,” Doncic said. “That’s it.”

Mavs governor Mark Cuban said on Wednesday that while he believes Doncic wants to spend his entire career in Dallas, the franchise has “got to earn” that kind of loyalty from the superstar. ESPN reported that Doncic could consider requesting a trade as soon as summer 2024 if significant progress is not made next season.

Doncic expressed the need for the Mavs to have a productive offseason to position themselves to be competitive again. He expressed his desire to re-sign Irving in free agency, which Cuban called the team’s top summer priority.

“Something’s got to change, for sure,” Doncic said. “I mean, last year we went to Western Conference finals. We were having fun. I always talk about the chemistry we had. It was great. But something’s got to change for sure.”

Irving, who declared days after being traded to Dallas that he would not discuss his free agency until the end of the season, declined to participate in the team’s exit interviews with the media. The Mavs were only 5-11 in games Doncic and Irving played together, which is the worst winning percentage for a pair of teammates since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976-77.

“I think it’s a great fit,” Doncic said. “Obviously people are going to say no [and] look at the results we are having, but like I said, chemistry and relationships takes time. I wish he can still be here.”