1 Western Conference rival monitoring Luka Doncic’s situation in Dallas
May 15, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts against the Phoenix Suns in game seven of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
One unlikely team may be ready to take a Luka-sized swing.
John Hollinger of The Athletic made the revelation in an article this week that the Utah Jazz are “keeping a very interested eye” on four-time All-Star Luka Doncic’s situation with the Dallas Mavericks. The news comes after Doncic and the Mavs failed to make the postseason this year, leading to speculation over the 24-year-old’s long-term future in Dallas.
Doncic cannot get out of his contract until 2026 at the earliest, and Utah is not quite a top destination for free agents. That means it may be more likely that the Jazz would try to pull off a trade for Doncic. Utah has an armored truck’s worth of future first-round picks thanks to their respective trades of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell last offseason. They also have plenty of established talent to offer like All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen, former All-Rookie selection Collin Sexton, and rim-protecting extraordinaire Walker Kessler (all of whom are 25 or younger).
The budding MVP candidate Doncic recently responded to the rumors about his future. But the Jazz, who have already swung several bold roster moves under majority owner Ryan Smith and minority owner Dwyane Wade (the retired ex-Miami Heat star), could be about to make their boldest one yet.
