Luka Doncic is expected by the Dallas Mavericks to make risky decision this summer.

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic recently had the best season of his career, in which he was denied MVP and guided the Mavs to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011, and he has the ability to improve even further this summer.

Last summer, we saw Doncic take his conditioning more seriously than ever before and make big advances as a shooter off the catch, and we might see a similar developmental path for Doncic this summer if he works as hard as he did last year.

Doncic’s 2024 NBA Playoffs were also a masterclass, despite the fact that he dealt with numerous ailments. Doncic was forced to receive pain-killing injections for his thoracic contusion by the end of the playoffs, and he battled a knee strain and ankle stiffness throughout.

Dallas Mavericks ‘expect’ Luka Doncic to play in the Olympics

Doncic’s major objective this summer should be to get fit and ready to go for next season, as this year’s offseason is significantly shorter for Dallas due to their deep playoff run, but that may be much more difficult given a decision Doncic will most likely make.

In a news conference on Friday, Mavs GM said he expected Doncic will play for Slovenia at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“That’s probably one of his biggest joys,” Harrison said of Doncic’s appearance for Slovenia. “As long as he can walk, he’s probably going to play for them. That’s my expectation.”

Doncic’s decision to compete for Slovenia should come as no surprise, since he stated earlier this month that he would play if his knee was fine, but his participation in the Olympics may be more perilous than many know.

Doncic is known for battling through injuries, but competing in the Olympics after suffering multiple injuries for nearly two months is a difficult circumstance. If he reinjures his knee or suffers another nagging injury, the Mavericks will be in a difficult situation heading into next season.

Doncic is the heart and soul of this Mavs squad, and without him, they would struggle to compete in a stacked Western Conference.

Doncic certainly prioritizes playing for Slovenia, and we saw a terrible situation last summer when he represented Slovenia in the FIBA World Cup. Doncic suffered a thigh injury in the second half of the NBA 2022-23 season, and these issues continued into the FIBA World Cup.

Doncic’s thigh was bothering him during the World Cup, and he had only a little more than two weeks to prepare for Mavs training camp.

If Slovenia makes it through the pre-Olympic qualifiers and competes in the Olympics, Doncic (assuming he plays for Slovenia) will have little over a month between the Olympics and training camp. A month may appear to be a long period, but it would pass quickly if Doncic was nursing an injury sustained during the Olympics.

Doncic enjoys playing for Slovenia, but this is ultimately a risky option for him. It’s also an interesting decision for the Mavs front office, because asking him not to play would most likely frustrate Doncic.

According to Harrison, the Mavs have no problems to him competing for his country, but things may get extremely interesting heading into next season if Doncic gets harmed at the Olympics or is unable to fully heal from his ailments from last season.

Stay tuned for all of the latest news on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the offseason.

The Mavericks guard’s father has shockingly stated that the team will trade him this summer.

In other news, The Mavericks guard’s father has shockingly stated that the team will trade him this summer.