Luka Doncic‘s departure from the Dallas Mavericks had rattled the whole world of the NBA, but new reports from Tim MacMahon of ESPN suggest that the animosity had been building between Doncic’s camp and Mavericks management for several months, if not years. The issues were mainly with the mismanagement of his injuries and a growing mistrust of the front office.
When Doncic’s left calf got strained in just over two years, it came out as the last straw. Sources say Doncic’s people felt this injury happened because he returned too soon after having been injured on December 15 against the Golden State Warriors, when he suffered a left heel bruise. Although it was an amazing night for Doncic with the 45 points and the compensation for the injury was evident in his gait.
The Mavericks, under GM Nico Harrison, had a different perspective, attributing the issue to Doncic’s conditioning. It got worse when, following MRI results, Mavericks director of player health Johann Bilsborough estimated Doncic could return in 2–3 weeks, but the camp of Doncic argued for a six-week recovery plan. So, they won it, setting a comeback date for February 8 against the Rockets, but that only added to the crack.
He was sending two weeks off his feet on crutches and a scooter. This fueled tension again. Then there was the incident when Doncic refused to go with the team on a five-game road trip because he had superior rehab at the Mavericks’ home. Harrison took that as insubordination, accusing Doncic of “holding the team hostage” while Doncic’s camp countered by saying that the player was devoted to training hard in two a day’s workouts and ready to practice with the G League’s Texas Legends instead.
The next communication Doncic’s team received from Harrison was to announce the completion of a blockbuster trade that sent Luka to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. Little did many know that this was what atrophied very far beyond that.
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