DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Is there a rift forming between the Dallas Mavericks front office and their 22-year-old superstar Luka Doncic?
According to a report from Tim Cato of The Athletic, that very well may be the case.
The Mavs, who are on the heels of a disappointing loss in the first round of the playoffs, have been under the microscope in recent weeks, particularly the front office, which has objectively failed at forming an acceptable roster around their young franchise cornerstone.
However, according to Cato's report, the biggest reason for this rift could be due to the team's over-reliance on its director of quantitative research and development, Haralabos Voulgaris, who has exerted vast control over both the team's overall roster transactions, as well as their day-to-day lineups.
Per Cato: "Multiple league and team sources tell The Athletic that Voulgaris has been the most influential voice within the Mavericks front office since joining the team, either initiating or approving virtually every transaction made over the past two seasons. Those same sources add that Voulgaris has frequently gone as far as scripting the starting lineups and rotations for longtime head coach Rick Carlisle."
Voulgaris has even frustrated Doncic personally as well, whether it was purportedly motioning for Doncic to calm down in the midst of a game, or the executive leaving the court with time remaining in a hotly contested game.
After being hired in 2018, Voulgaris has been behind numerous front office moves for the Mavericks, including the acquisitions of both Seth Curry and Delon Wright, the latter of which was promptly traded last offseason, following a disastrous season in Dallas.
Voulgaris was also reportedly directly responsible for the drafting of rookies Josh Green and Tyrell Terry in the 2021 NBA Draft, neither of which made an impact on the team's on court success this past season.
To make things worse, Cato also reported vast confusion within the Mavs front office, as to who actually held decision-making power outside of owner Mark Cuban, with one source telling the reporter that the team had "two general managers."
Per Cato: Because Voulgaris’ influence was greater than his official role, those within the front office — and executives around the league who interacted with them — were often confused about who actually held power. “We had two general managers,” a team source says.
Whatever the case, the Mavericks will have to find a way to resolve this issue sooner, rather than later, or risk their franchise cornerstone's future.
Afterall, while Doncic reportedly wishes to sign a super max deal to remain in Dallas long term, nothing is final until ink is put to paper, which cannot officially happen until after Doncic is named to an All-NBA Team later this offseason.
And until that happens, anything can change.