Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison spearheaded the trade talks, and Doncic's conditioning and the unwillingness of the Mavericks to pay him a supermax contract were two big obstacles that led to the trade being made during this season.

There was a notable absence during this weekend’s All-Star festivities. For the first time in five years, Luka Doncic, one of the NBA’s brightest stars, was nowhere to be found. But his name echoed throughout the hallways,