There are very few players in the NBA worth unloading the farm for, and Dallas Mavericks star point guard Luka Doncic is one of them. While the New York Knicks are still a distant competitor for Doncic in a trade scenario, the All-NBA player lost his favorite coach in the organization on Sunday, as the Orlando Magic scooped up Jamahl Mosley as their next head coach.
The Orlando Magic are hiring Dallas Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley as the new head coach, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Mosley is traveling to Orlando today as sides finalize terms.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 11, 2021
There were reports that Doncic favored Mosley as Dallas’s next head coach, after the organization parted ways with their general manager and HC. Doncic went as far as to say “he’s got the things that are needed for a head coach.â€
Does this open up a small door for the Knicks to gauge any trade interest? Possibly, but it is still very unlikely owner Mark Cuban allows Luka to even consider a departure. At the end of the day, the Mavericks have the ability to offer him a max contract on his rookie deal, which is more beneficial and lucrative than acquiring one on a different team.
At just 22 years old, Doncic is already averaging 27+ points on a nightly basis, in addition to 8.6 assists, and a 48% clip from the field last season. Attempting 8.3 shots from downtown, he’s also hit on 35%, which is solid for a high volume shooter.
With Dallas’s organization falling apart at the seams and losing coaches left and right, Luka could force his way out at some point, but he must figure out whether he values a massive payday or the chance to be happy with another organization.
Checking in on Luca Vildoza, New York Knicks foreign signing:
On Saturday, Argentina took on Australia, falling by just three points in Las Vegas during an exhibition match. The Knicks are excited to see what Vildoza can offer them during the 2021-22 season, as a two-way guard that has adequate shooting and solid court vision.
In the defeat on Saturday, Vildoza finished with 11 points, two assists, and hit three shots from range over eight attempts. He shot 33% from the field and 37.5% success from downtown weren’t exactly efficient, but he only featured in 18.5 minutes, a small sample size of work.
As he continues to increase his playing time and chemistry with the Argentinian national team, Luca should see his production increase, and the Knicks will be watching closely.