Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic is reportedly set to be sidelined for a right wrist injury. Doncic, 25, is currently on a five-year, $215 million contract that he signed in the 2022-23 NBA season. He could be eligible for a supermax contract of up to $346,338,300 if he becomes an NBA All-Star for the next two seasons. At the moment this sounds unlikely, given all of his recent injuries.
Critics have criticized Doncic this season for virtually everything from being out of shape to being injury-prone. Doncic has appeared to shake off all the criticism, but the injury-prone part is a legitimate concern for reporters and fans alike. He recently suffered a right wrist injury and was expected to miss time. Read on for the latest.
Luka Doncic Suffers Right Wrist Strain
According to ESPN’s lead NBA news-breaker Shams Charania, Luka Doncic sustained a wrist injury and is expected to miss time, sources told ESPN. Charania, 30, followed up on his Thursday morning X, formerly Twitter, post with, “Luka Doncic is expected to be re-evaluated in one week with a right wrist strain, sources said.”
Based on Charania’s X post, Doncic could miss at least a few games. The Dallas Mavericks play the Denver Nuggets in the third game of the NBA Cup’s Group Stage on Friday night at the Ball Arena, the Miami Heat on Sunday night at the Kaseya Center, the Atlanta Hawks next Monday night at the State Farm Arena, the New York Knicks next Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center, and the Utah Jazz next Saturday night at the Delta Center. However, there’s no clear timetable for Doncic’s return, so he could be cleared to play sooner or later.
Dallas Mavericks’ Timeline for Luka Doncic
It’s safe to say that the Dallas Mavericks’ timeline for Luka Doncic could be sooner than later, as ESPN’s Shams Charania did report that Doncic’s right wrist strain was “nothing serious” meaning he could return as soon as possible. Still, Dallas needs Doncic on the floor as much as possible, as he’s one of the team’s top scorers and the team reportedly wants to compete in a competitive Western Conference.
In addition, Doncic has already missed some time due to a right knee contusion. Doncic’s sitting out of the Mavericks’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder affected them, as the Mavericks survived the Thunder’s late scoring surge and held on for a 121-119 win at the Paycom Center on Sunday night. Dallas played a stronger Oklahoma City team, which was an acceptable win against a much better opponent, but a rather ugly one.
Luka Doncic So Far This Season
Luka Doncic, a five-time NBA All-Star from 2020 to 2024, has averaged 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game, while shooting 43.5% from the field goal line this season. Doncic has led the Mavericks in scoring for the most part, but it’s important to note that Kyrie Irving has been stepping up in recent weeks. Irving is arguably the second-best player — and option — on the team due to his duo with Doncic, along with his superior ball handling and veteran leadership, both on and off the court.
Final Thoughts
The Mavericks are 8-7 at the time of writing, which can be described as a “cause for concern” for the defending 2024 Western Conference Champions. The Mavericks’ next opponent will be the Denver Nuggets in downtown Denver on Friday at 8:00 p.m. Mountain time. The rather unexpected timing of the Doncic injury might be a problem, as the Nuggets will likely capitalize on the short-handed Mavericks and run away with the lead and the game, but we’ll see what happens.
