With the regular season already coming to a close, the Dallas Mavericks have already set out their plans for the upcoming Summer League. As it turns out, it will not include incoming sophomore studs Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson.
Carlisle said Luka and Brunson wil not play summer league ball in Vegas this summer.
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) April 11, 2019
This does not come as a surprise, with the Mavs opting to sit out two of their prized youngsters in the upcoming Summer League. Doncic is already a bona fide star, and it would not have been prudent for Dallas to risk a potential injury by having him participate in Vegas. While he may not exactly be on the level of Doncic, Brunson has proven that he is an NBA-level talent and that the Mavs got extremely lucky scooping him up in the second round of last season's draft.
Article Continues BelowDoncic remains to be the front-runner for this season's Rookie of the Year award, and despite a late surge from Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, Doncic is still widely regarded as the favorite to take home this honor. The 19-year-old closed his rookie campaign with astounding averages of 21.2 points (on 42.7 percent shooting), 2.3 three-pointers, 7.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 32.2 minutes per ballgame.
As for Brunson, the former Villanova standout has been a steady force for the Mavs. The 6-foot-3 guard got it going in the second half of the season, averaging 14.5 points (on 50.8 percent from the floor), 1.3 three-pointers, 2.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 0.6 steals after the All-Star break.
It was a forgettable season for the Mavs this year, but unquestionably, the future is looking very bright for Dallas.