The Dallas Mavericks during the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday night were able to land the promising young talent that their front office had its eyes on in former Real Madrid standout swingman Luka Doncic.
This has put in place a potential cornerstone piece to the puzzle that the franchise can build around for the long haul. With that in mind, Tim MacMahon of ESPN is reporting that the Mavericks are leaning toward not playing Doncic in this year's summer league next month because the team doesn't want to overwork him.
A Mavs source says Luka Doncic is unlikely to play in the Las Vegas summer league. The Mavs don’t want to overwork Doncic in the wake of a long EuroLeague season that ended earlier this week.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 22, 2018
Dallas has huge plans ahead for Doncic, which likely makes this is a simple decision given that he's coming off completing the EuroLeague season that concluded with Real Madrid winning the championship. This had involved the 19-year-old being heavily involved him leading the charge.
Doncic is a unique talent that has shown the ability to heavily impact the game with both his scoring and passing. He is regarded as one of the most polished offensive players in this year's class that can create his own shot while possessing the athleticism to be a physical factor at the rim. The Mavericks are hoping to pair him alongside second-year point guard Denni Smith Jr. to form a dynamic duo that can be the cornerstones to leading the franchise to a tremendous amount of long-term success.
The presence of Dirk Nowitzki in the latter stages of his career could help make the transition an easier process given that he was once a high draft pick from overseas. Nowitzki knows first hand what it takes to be successful in the NBA as he has put together an illustrious career that will one day put him in the Hall of Fame. All of this has laid a huge amount of importance in the handling of Doncic over this offseason ahead of his first year.
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