Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is upset about the team’s decision to part ways with general manager Donnie Nelson, Marc Spears of ESPN said on “The Jump” Wednesday.
“They were really, really close,” Spears said, adding that Doncic will issue a statement on Nelson’s dismissal on Thursday. Nelson was credited for pushing for the draft-night trade with the Hawks that landed Doncic in Dallas.
Doncic is currently in Slovenia with its national team, which is training for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Lithuania later this month.
Spears also claimed there aren’t any ongoing talks between Doncic and the franchise regarding a rookie-scale extension, but there would be no need for talks to be occurring at this point. His rookie-scale extension couldn’t be signed until August and the deadline is prior to the start of next season. It’s no secret the Mavs will offer their franchise player the maximum allowable contract.
According to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Doncic hasn’t shared his feelings with anyone regarding Nelson’s departure from the organization, so it’s inaccurate to claim that he’s upset about it. Townsend confirms that Doncic is expected to speak about the situation on Thursday during a press conference for the qualifying tournament.
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