Luka Doncic Must Lead A Mavericks Finals Run Following Extension

Contract extensions are always about give and take, and this is the case with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. 

First, the club is indebted to the player vying for an extension. The player has performed well, and knows his worth. The team must give him what he wants or he could look elsewhere.

Upon agreeing a deal, the tables are turned, and it’s the player who must pay the team back. The organisation says ‘You’ve got your contract, now show us you’re worth it’.

Upon signing a 5 year, $207 million contract extension, the expectation is on Luka Doncic. Team owner Mark Cuban even compared him to the greatest player in franchise history.

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“The first I heard of [Doncic] was when [Real Madrid] played the Thunder in a preseason game and I watched the game,” Cuban said. “Obviously there was a lot of talk about him, and I think he scored on Russell Westbrook, I think it was, or guarded Russell or something like that, and it got people’s attention. I followed him from there, and we spoke about him a lot.

“This is a big day,” Cuban continued. “When we drafted Luka in 2018, we had an inkling he was good. But we never imagined he was this good. That’s the culmination of a lot of hard work on his part. He didn’t just show up, he put in the time his entire life.

“To be able to announce he signed an extension with the Dallas Mavericks and we want to have him copy — not copy, but have the same type of Hall of Fame career if not more than Dirk [Nowitzki], who’s sitting here in the front row.”

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Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks to its first Finals appearance in 2006 and its first Championship win in 2011. Doncic certainly has the caliber of talent to do the same. At 22, he’s already one of the most accomplished players in the NBA. 

What his extension means is that he’s no longer an eye-catching youngster. He’s the leader of the team, and must carry all the weight that comes with that.