Report: Jazz Keeping a ' Very Interested Eye' on Luka Dončić Situation
The Utah Jazz just can’t shake the Luka Dončić trade rumors. The latest comes from The Athletic’s John Hollinger, who believes Utah is keeping tabs on the rumblings that Dončić isn’t happy in Dallas.
“Let’s start with the fact that a couple of other teams — most notably Oklahoma City and Utah — have the resources to outbid the Nets on any player of their choosing,” Hollinger wrote. “With my spies telling me that Utah in particular is keeping a very interested eye on Dončić’s situation.”
On the surface, it’s hard to fathom that Dončić would be suiting up in any uniform other than the Dallas Mavericks in 2023-24. The All-NBA point guard is still under team control for the next three seasons, which gives the Mavericks at least one year to rectify a relationship that may be trending in the wrong direction.
…..but wait a minute. There is an argument to be made that Dallas should cut its star loose this offseason. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is running out of options in making upgrades to a cumbersome roster, and receiving a king's ransom in exchange for Dončić may be the right play at this time.
Where it stands, the Mavericks are on the hook for $104 million in guaranteed salaries for 2023-24. This doesn’t include picking up Josh Green’s team option ($4.7M) or re-signing Christian Wood. If Dallas chooses to re-sign Kyrie Irving, then at best, you’re running it back with the same inefficiencies as 2022-23.
Building through the draft during Dončić‘a tenure isn’t on the table, either. The Mavericks have only two first-round selections (2024/2025) before Dončić can walk in free agency in 2026. The only asset that Dallas has to replenish its draft stock is through Dončic.
Cuban may need to follow the same path that the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder did when they traded their star players, but is that a bad thing?
Utah and Oklahoma City are the clear-cut winners in their exchanges involving Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook — proving that taking a step backward in order to move forward is the smart play when a championship push has run its course.
Now, Dončić becoming available doesn’t guarantee anything by any means, but the only team that has the means to trump Utah in a bidding war is the Thunder.
Time will tell how it all plays out, but the combination of not re-signing Jalen Brunson, trades that haven’t panned out, and limited draft capital moving forward may have put the Mavericks between a rock and a hard place in regard to Dončić.
It all makes for a situation that Jazz fans should be keeping a close eye on.
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