Report: Mavericks were ‘frustrated’ Luka Doncic didn’t travel and rehab calf injury with team

April 9, 2025

According to NBA insiders Christian Clark, David Aldridge, Sam Amick and Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Dallas Mavericks were “frustrated” that Luka Doncic didn’t travel and rehab his calf injury with the team.

Doncic suffered a serious calf injury on Christmas against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He rehabbed in Dallas with his medical team instead of traveling with the Mavericks on their long road trip.

“Front-office officials tried to communicate with Dončić about a plan to get him back on the court, but discussions between the two sides were spotty,” Clark, Aldridge, Amick and Katz wrote. “Dončić believed he had suffered the calf strain by trying to come back from a previous injury too soon. His group decided it didn’t make sense for him to be with the team. Not only would plane rides invite a possible setback, but he would also be able to maximize his workouts in Dallas rather than going from city to city during the trip. The decision frustrated team executives, according to league sources. And it wasn’t the first time the superstar and the organization had clashed.”

The Mavericks traded Doncic, one of the best players in the NBA, to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.

Dallas general manager Nico Harrison no longer wanted to build around Doncic, who averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 422 games with the Mavericks.

“But Harrison had doubts about the wisdom of investing in the 26-year-old Dončić long-term, according to multiple team and league sources, and the decision to skip the trip reiterated what Harrison already believed: The Mavericks would be better off without him,” Clark, Aldridge, Amick and Katz wrote.

Doncic was eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million extension with the Mavericks this offseason, but Harrison didn’t want to pay the star that much money.

The Lakers, who are in third place in the West right now, can offer Doncic a four-year, $229 million extension this offseason, or, like other teams, a five-year, $296 million contract in the offseason of 2026.