Quote:Sources said Doncic, who hasn't shown a desire to be involved in personnel matters in the past, has strongly indicated he wants the Mavs to upgrade before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
Quote:The Mavs are well aware of a modern NBA math problem: Unhappy stars who have only two guaranteed years remaining on their contracts have leverage if they're looking to leave. For reference, see Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans or James Harden and the Houston Rockets.
That doesn't necessarily mean Doncic will request a trade if the Mavs haven't put a contender-quality supporting cast in place by the summer of 2024. But the Mavs, like the Hawks with Young, surely don't want to fiddle around and find out.
For the Mavs in particular, that means having to balance trying to put the most competitive roster in place this season against diminishing the potential to deal for a co-star in the near future. The latter would likely require a bundle of first-round picks, so the Mavs must be extremely selective while considering giving up a pick now.
"It's a really tough spot," a pro personnel scout for a contending team told ESPN. "And it's the pressure great players place on the organization. You want to be good, but the balance of patience and competitiveness is a really hard line to walk."