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Jay Williams thinks a Luka Doncic-Knicks union is possible amid the ongoing drama in Dallas.
“Earlier in the year I said New York could be a potential opportunity [for Luka] and people killed me for it. It’s feasible,” Williams argued on his “Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin” show Thursday — one day after the Mavericks parted ways with GM Donnie Nelson.
Later on Thursday, Doncic said Nelson’s exit was “tough” for him.
“There are feasible scenarios, where you start looking at, where will Luka want to go and build if it doesn’t work out in Dallas,” Williams continued, noting that “New York isn’t the only option.
“But I will say there’s a lot of rumblings, and [Mavericks owner] Mark Cuban needs to put water on that fire.”
The No. 4-seeded Knicks clinched a playoff berth this season for the first time since 2013. Despite a first-round exit to the Hawks, there is renewed hope they could be an attractive spot for the league’s best players.
Doncic’s disdain for the Mavericks would have to be far deeper than imagined, though, for him to force his way out of Dallas, even as rumors of a rift in the organization were prevalent this week.
Earlier on, the NBA analyst questioned, “Is [Doncic] really happy? What’s happening to that relationship?”
Doncic, who was named All-NBA First Team on Tuesday, is eligible to sign a super-max extension with Dallas on Aug. 6. The deal would amount to more than $200 million over five seasons.
Williams’ take comes amid Dallas’ headline-making week for reported drama in the front office, which was exposed two days before Nelson’s breakup with the team.
“It was kind of tough to me. I really like Donnie,” Doncic said Thursday during a press conference with his Slovenian national team.
“I know him since I was a kid and he was the one that drafted me. It was tough for me seeing that, but I’m not the one making decisions there,” the 22-year-old explained. Doncic joined the Mavericks in 2018.
The apparent tensions in Dallas follow the team’s first-round playoff exit to the Clippers. Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that Doncic is cautious about his future in Dallas because of a strained relationship with Haralabos Voulgaris, the Mavericks’ director of quantitative research and development.
Doncic has been frustrated over Voulgaris’ involvement in major decisions, including lineups and rotations, according to the report.
Cuban quickly shut down the report Monday, calling it “laughable” that a “shadow GM” is calling the shots in Dallas. The removal of Nelson on the heels of that report, though, certainly raised eyebrows.
Cuban also told Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks that he “pays close attention” to what his franchise star says, along with coach Rick Carlisle and the rest of the front office.
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