Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic had his 16th technical foul of the season rescinded by the NBA on Saturday, making him eligible to play in the team's regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. 

Doncic received his 16th technical foul of the year between the first and second quarters of Friday's 128-78 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The 23-year-old felt he was undercut on a buzzer-beating shot and got into it with the officials.

Doncic asked the officials: "How is that not a foul? How is that not a foul?" He then received the technical foul. 

According to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News, the Mavericks appealed the technical foul and Doncic said after Friday's game that it should "100 percent" be rescinded. 

Last season, Doncic acknowledged that he complained to the officials too much and needed to "work on it and be way better than this," but it's become quite clear that he didn't do much to prevent himself from getting the calls this season.   

Losing Doncic for the regular-season finale would have been a tough for the Mavericks, who are hoping to move into third place in the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors own a half game lead over Dallas for third place. 

Doncic has been Dallas' most important player since being drafted third overall in 2018. This season, he's averaging 28.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists while shooting 45.7 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from deep.

Entering the postseason, Doncic will need to control himself and avoid getting into arguments with the officials. Luckily for him, technical fouls reset in the postseason and he'll need to rack up seven techs to receive a one-game suspension in the playoffs. 

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is in line for a suspension for the team's regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season in Saturday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Doncic received the technical between the first and second quarters. According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, he was upset that he was undercut on a buzzer-beating shot. 

"I asked him, ‘How is that not a foul? How is that not a foul?’ He T’d me up," Doncic told Mavericks public relations employee Scooter Tomlin, according to MacMahon. "That’s unfair. That’s unfair."

Doncic has been known to frequently argue with referees during games. He even acknowledged last season that he complains to the officials too much. 

"I realize it," Doncic said, according to MacMahon. "It's something that I'm not supposed to do. [It's difficult] with all the emotions in games, but obviously I've got to stop. It's just hard for me on the court with all the emotions, but I realize it and I've got to work on this. It's tough to do it, but I've got to work on it and be way better than this."

And after the NBA rescinded his 13th technical foul of the season in early March, Doncic said it wouldn't come to a point where he would get suspended, adding, "That's unacceptable, I can't do that."

Luckily for the Mavericks, they have already locked up a spot in the 2022 NBA playoffs, entering Friday's game with a 50-30 record. However, Dallas will be hoping to win its final game of the season in hopes of securing home-court advantage for the first round. 

Doncic has been a staple in Dallas' lineup since being drafted third overall in 2018. He entered Friday's game averaging 28.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.8 assists while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from deep.

The NBA could still rescind Doncic's 16th technical foul, which would allow him to play in the regular-season finale. However, if he's unable to suit up, Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie figure to see more playing time. 

Brunson has had an impressive season, averaging 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists entering Friday's game. Dinwiddie, meanwhile, entered averaging 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 21 games with the Mavericks since coming over in a trade from the Washington Wizards. 

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic will miss Saturday's game against the Sacramento Kings with a left toe sprain.

Doncic has missed a total of 15 games this season, and the Mavericks are 6-9 without him. He's dealt with ankle issues at various times throughout the year and also spent time in the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Despite missing so much time this season, Doncic remains one of the more popular players in the league. He was selected to his third consecutive All-Star Game after putting up averages of 27.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 48 games.

Doncic's absence is a major blow to the Mavericks as he is the focal point of the team's offense, especially after the midseason trade of Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

When Doncic sits, fourth-year point guard Jalen Brunson usually takes over the ball-handling duties. Brunson is in the midst of a breakout year with career-high averages of 16.0 points and 5.3 assists.

At 38-15, the Mavericks are in fifth place in the Western Conference. Dallas will need Doncic to recover and return to the lineup soon if it hopes to compete for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban believes Luka Doncic took the criticism on board when people questioned whether his conditioning was where it needed to be early in the NBA season.

"I think he was humbled a little bit," Cuban said Tuesday on 1310 The Ticket (via ESPN's Tim MacMahon). "I think he didn't like being called out for his weight and other things, and it finally clicked that there's a level of discipline that's required."

One of the bigger knocks on Doncic when he entered the NBA in 2018 was that he wasn't a supreme athlete. That in turn might hinder him on defense and limit his individual dynamism as a scorer.

The 22-year-old has gone on to make two All-NBA teams and earn three All-Star nods, so those concerns have largely been rendered moot.

Still, Doncic acknowledged in December that his training level wasn't where it needed to be in the offseason:

MacMahon reported Doncic's weight exceeded 260 pounds when he arrived at training camp, well above his officially listed weight of 230 pounds.

It's not uncommon for a star to play his way into game shape as the season unfolds.

That's often the case with James Harden. Fitness isn't an issue when it comes to Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, but they've typically gotten better and better as the year went on as well.

Until the Mavericks find a second star to pair alongside their franchise cornerstone, Doncic can't afford to perform at a level or two below his best for the first few months, though.

Through December, the 6'7" playmaker was averaging 25.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 32.6 percent from beyond the arc. Since January, he's nearly averaging a triple-double (29.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 9.4 assists) while shooting more efficiently (45.1 percent overall and 34.4 percent on threes).

However, the Mavericks are still 1.5 games out of a top four seed thanks in part to being under .500 (17-18) when December ended.

Part of that record was attributable to Doncic missing 10 straight games because of an ankle injury. But Dallas was still only 12-13 when he went down.

The burden of being in Doncic's position is a heavy one as he carries the Mavs' championship hopes on his shoulders. Failing to put in the work away from the court is something he simply cannot do.

The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James delivered high praise to Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic as they prepare to team up at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

"I love everything about his game," James told reporters Saturday. "I love everything about him. The way he plays the game reminds me of the way I play the game."

James, the captain for Team LeBron, selected Doncic for his All-Star squad this weekend and has long been a fan of the 22-year-old Slovenian.

"I love his game, his ability to not only create shots for himself; but you guys know I love the fact that he can get great looks for his teammates," James said in 2019. "That's what I thrive on, that's what I've always believed in, and he just plays the game the right way."

Doncic is enjoying another terrific season for the Mavs. He's averaged 27.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.0 assists across 44 games for Dallas, which is fifth in the Western Conference with a 35-24 record.

The fourth-year, do-it-all guard is making his third straight All-Star appearance. He's also been selected to the All-NBA first team each of the past two years.

Doncic was happy LeBron picked him for this year's midseason showcase.

"He's one of the best players to ever play this game," Doncic told Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News. "As a kid, I look up to him, so it's really a special moment when he picks me. I'm really glad that he picks me."

After Sunday's game, which is scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET tip on TNT, the versatile playmakers will go back to being rivals in the crowded battle for playoff positioning in the West.

The Washington Wizards landed Kristaps Porzingis ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, but according to NBA reporter Marc Stein, they were "as eager to ship out Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans as the Mavericks were to move on from the idea that Porzingis could be the ideal co-star for Luka Doncic."

The Wizards sent Dinwiddie and Bertans to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Porzingis, a one-time All-Star who's averaging 19.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game this season, and a second-round pick. 

Though the deal provides upside for a team that needs additional star power alongside Bradley Beal, Washington also managed to remove some dead weight.

According to Stein (h/t HoopsHype), Dinwiddie "turned off numerous co-workers in his brief time in D.C.," while Bertans "has declined steadily and worryingly."

Bertans signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension in November 2020 after averaging 15.4 points per game and shooting 42.4 percent from three-point range in 2019-20. Two seasons later, the forward is averaging only 5.7 points per game while shooting 31.9 percent from deep.

Bertans still has $33 million guaranteed over the next two seasons before an $16 million early termination option in 2024-25, per Spotrac, which perhaps motivated the Wizards to get his contract off their books.

Dinwiddie was in his first season of a three-year, $54 million deal with Washington, but his production has not lived up to expectations. He averaged 12.6 points and 5.8 assists in 44 games with the Wizards, but his 37.6 field-goal percentage is among the worst in the NBA.

Between his mediocre production and the reported concerns about him in the locker room, losing Dinwiddie could be addition by subtraction for the Wizards.

Washington now has a new set of issues with the oft-injured Porzingis, who is owed a fully guaranteed $33.8 million next season and has a $36 million player option in 2023-24. He's shooting a career-worst 28.3 percent from deep this season and has been inconsistent defensively.

However, Porzingis still has the upside to give the Wizards a frontcourt presence they haven't had in a long time.   

Luka Doncic was as surprised as everybody else to see Kristaps Porzingis traded by the Dallas Mavericks.

"I didn't expect it," Doncic told reporters following the team's 112-105 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. "It was shocking. I was still a little bit sleepy."

The three-time All-Star added the Mavs are "going to miss KP."

"We were building something great here," he said. "It didn't obviously work out. I wish him the best, and we've got two new guys who are welcome."

While a Porzingis trade didn't come to feel as inevitable as the James Harden and Ben Simmons swap, Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported last February the Mavericks had "quietly gauged the trade market" for the Latvian big man.

More unexpected than the trade itself was what Dallas got back.

Spencer Dinwiddie struggled mightily in his first year with the Washington Wizards, shooting 37.6 percent from the floor. Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported on Jan. 31 the Wizards were hopeful of moving Dinwiddie because "he looks like a shell of his former self and his teammates don't want him there."

Davis Bertans, meanwhile, is a stretch big who's only hitting 31.9 percent of his threes this year.

There isn't even much benefit for Dallas in shedding Porzingis' contract because Dinwiddie and Bertans basically combine to make as much money over the same period of time.

In time, the Mavericks' reasoning for offloading Porzingis when they did may become clear.

The 26-year-old has battled injuries throughout his career—he's currently out of action because of a bone bruise in his right knee—which is less than ideal when he had such a significant part in Dallas' long-term plans.

The dynamic between Porzingis and Doncic could have been more fractured than the organization was willing to admit publicly.

Is it totally a coincidence that Doncic dropped 51 points, nine rebounds and six assists immediately after the trade?

The Mavericks staked their future in Porzingis being the ideal complementary star for Doncic. Now, it's back to the drawing board for general manager Nico Harrison as he builds the roster around the young star.

From the start of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic left no doubt that he was on his way to a special night.

Doncic set a new career high with 51 points to lead Dallas to a 112-105 victory against Los Angeles. The 22-year-old shot 17-of-26 from the field (65.3 percent) and added nine rebounds and six assists. He scored 28 points with seven three-pointers in the first quarter alone.

Doncic carried the Mavericks on his back on Thursday night. No other player on the team had more than 12 points and only three others reached double figures.

The events ahead of Thursday's trade deadline could have given Doncic an extra pep in his step. Dallas shipped Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

The move ends a shaky partnership between Doncic and Porzingis, who showed flashes of brilliance together but never sustained it. Doncic is now the undoubted leader of the Mavericks.

Dallas is in fifth place in the Western Conference and improved to 33-23 with the victory, which was its fourth straight. The Mavericks have topped 100 points in each of their last eight games. 

The win exacted some revenge for Dallas, considering it has been eliminated in the playoffs by Los Angeles in each of the last two seasons. Doncic will have another chance to pour it on against the Clippers as the two teams will face each other again on Saturday to complete a back-to-back in Dallas.

The Dallas Mavericks and forward Dorian Finney-Smith have agreed on a four-year, $55.5 million contract extension, his agents Michael Tellem and Jeff Schwartz told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowki.

NBA writer Marc Stein and Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium first reported the deal was close on Thursday.

Finney-Smith, 28, is a key role player for the Mavericks, averaging 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three. 

Finney-Smith's extension doesn't come as much of a surprise. Mavericks governor Mark Cuban told Dalton Trigg of Dallas Basketball on Feb. 1 that the team "will do all we can to keep (both Jalen Brunson) and Dorian (Finney-Smith)."

Brunson remains eligible to be a free agent in the offseason, though ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported the Mavericks "remain optimistic" they can re-sign the guard despite the Detroit Pistons being "known to have serious interest and significant cap space."

It was a big day for the Mavericks, who also traded Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and MacMahon.

For Dallas, the end goal remains building a contender around superstar Luka Doncic. In the short term, players like Finney-Smith, Brunson, Dinwiddie, Bertans, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dwight Powell should provide a solid foundation around Doncic for the 32-23 Mavericks, who are fifth in the Western Conference. 

In the long term, having a number of contracts in the $10 million- to $20 million-per-year range will give the Mavericks flexibility in trades in their quest to pair Doncic with a second star. 

The Dallas Mavericks are "optimistic" that they can re-sign point guard Jalen Brunson in the offseason, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. 

The Mavericks were one of the big players ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, trading Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Brunson, 25, has played well for the 32-23 Mavs this season, averaging career highs in points (16.1 PPG), assists (5.5 APG) and rebounds (3.8 RPG) while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three. 

He's started 36 of his 54 total appearances this season, emerging as one of the team's key role players alongside Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith, among others, behind superstar Luka Doncic. 

However, Brunson's role may change slightly with Dinwiddie now in the fold. Dinwiddie will give the Mavericks another solid ball-handler and shot-creator, taking some of the pressure off of Doncic. 

And Bertans will add three-point shooting to a team in need of more spacing. 

Both players have struggled this season. Dinwiddie is averaging only 12.6 points per game and shooting a woeful 37.6 percent from the field, though he's added 5.8 assists per contest. Bertans is shooting a career-worst 31.9 percent from three and didn't start a single game for the Wizards. 

But a change of scenery could do wonders for the pair. After a promising start, the Wizards have absolutely cratered and are now 24-29. Bradley Beal is out for the season because of a wrist injury, and Washington made a number of moves at the deadline, shaking up a roster that has gone 2-8 in its last 10 games. 

A rejuvenated Dinwiddie would offer the Mavs some insurance for Brunson come the summer should he become a popular target in free agency. In the short term, however, having both players will improve the backcourt around Doncic.