SAN FRANCISCO — There was a notable absence during this weekend’s All-Star festivities.
For the first time in five years, Luka Doncic, one of the NBA’s brightest stars, was nowhere to be found. But his name echoed throughout the hallways, makeshift interview rooms and tunnels of Chase Center and Oakland Arena.
“It’s weird because we always have a good night before the game,” the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic said Saturday.
It’s been two weeks since the Dallas Mavericks stunningly traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, and the shock and awe of the transaction lingered among NBA circles.
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Aside from asking the general question of why the Mavericks would want to part ways with a generational talent, people were talking about Doncic’s dedication to conditioning and the trade rendering him ineligible for a supermax deal.
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the trade surprised him, but he empathized with the Mavericks’ fan base mourning the loss of their former franchise player. First-time All-Star and division rival Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs called it “the craziest trade” he’s ever seen. Jokic revealed his good friend Doncic was “a little hurt” by the Mavericks’ decision.
“I kind of think both teams win,” Jokic said. “I think Luka is a generational player, generational talent. I’m not saying that AD is not. I’m just saying that Luka is somebody that we haven’t seen someone like this before, who is affecting the game on so many levels, so many possessions.”
Another topic of discussion was Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison’s decision to limit negotiations to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. His and Davis’ ties with Harrison, who was a Nike executive before he joined the Mavericks, made the trade possible.
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While opinions about the trade ran rampant, fewer people were willing to speculate about the Western Conference champions’ future without Doncic — or LA’s future with him.
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Adding Davis was a significant defensive upgrade, but the Mavericks saw that dynamic presence for only 30 minutes of his Feb. 8 debut, which was cut short when he suffered an adductor strain.
It forced Davis to miss his 10th All-Star Game and was a reminder of his lengthy injury history, another source of the overwhelmingly negative response to the trade from the Mavericks’ fan base.
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Before the break, Dallas had won four of the seven games since the Doncic trade, all over the last five games. Once the season commences Friday at home against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Mavericks will begin a playoff push with 26 games to go and a 30-26 record — eighth in the Western Conference, good for a play-in tournament spot.
Dallas has had success after the All-Star break in recent seasons, but injuries to Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell could limit the team’s potential, a fact Kyrie Irving said is clouding their quest.
“We’re going to put our best foot forward,” he said after competing in his ninth All-Star Game. ”We can’t make any promises right now. We just gotta get healthy. That’s what my focus is. Once we do that, we put one game together at a time, great games consecutively and consistently, then I’ll have a better answer for you.”
After hosting the Pelicans, the Mavericks have a two-game trip in California to play the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, followed by Doncic and the new-look Lakers next Tuesday.
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“I think the Mavs are still contenders,” Wembanyama said Saturday. “The Lakers are contenders. It’s very competitive. They traded for very good players.”
X/Twitter: @MikeACurtis2
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