The Dallas Mavericks entered the NBA offseason with one priority and one priority only, and that was to re-sign Kyrie Irving and keep them there for the long run.
They secured that deal and then made some other interesting moves to put together a deep and much-improved roster after a heartbreaking and disappointing end to last season.
However, as better as they are, they were already good last season, and things didn’t work out. That’s why Stephen A. Smith believes Luka Doncic could be the next star to request a trade if things don’t go well for them.
Stephen A. Smith Predicts Luka Doncic Will Request A Trade
“I believe that if the Dallas Mavericks struggle this year, Luka Doncic will ask out of Dallas,” Smith said on First Take. “That’s not insider information; that’s just my opinion. He’ll ask out if they continue to struggle because the West has gotten stronger.”
“For Dallas to miss out on Jalen Brunson and then bring Kyrie up in there. If Luka and Kyrie doesn’t work, I think he’ll ask out,” Smith added. “The likelihood of him asking out is significantly higher than [Joel] Embiid asking out of Philly.”
The rumors of Doncic’s discontent in Dallas have been piling up for years now. But they added some nice pieces in the offseason, and they should be a big contender to come out of the West in 2023-24.