Luka Doncic is reportedly more involved in personnel decisions, but that might not be the best thing for Mavs

With the trade deadline approaching, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently reported that Luka Doncic has strongly indicated to the Mavericks that he would like them to upgrade the roster. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban denied that report, but MacMahon elaborated a bit on ESPN’s Hoop Collective podcast Friday. “Really, the newsworthy thing here is that Luka is starting to be much more involved in the personnel discussions,” MacMahon said. “Where previously it’s always been like ‘Y’all can let me know, but I don’t really want to be involved right now.'”

This may be a new development in Dallas, but it’s a common one league-wide. Players have little control over where and how their careers begin. As they prove themselves in the NBA, they tend to earn influence. Eventually, most All-Stars either have a hand in the decisions their teams make or leave for teams willing to cede such control. Doncic wouldn’t be the first star to ask for roster upgrades and he won’t be the last.

Typically, it makes sense to indulge players of his caliber. After all, Doncic and the Mavericks have the same goal here: to win championships. Even if the moves aren’t ideal, keeping Doncic happy is arguably a higher priority than an optimized roster-building vision. But there’s a danger in allowing any player too much control over a roster. They often emphasize short-term improvements over the long-term picture.

For Dallas, the difference is only a matter of months. Right now, the Mavericks are fairly limited in what they can offer in a trade. They owe the Knicks their first-round pick in June’s draft, but the protections on that pick prevent them from trading a first-round pick for the next several years. Wait until the offseason, when that pick conveys, and suddenly the Mavericks have their full complement of picks available.

All indications suggest that the Mavericks are planning around that future. They might be able to trade a pick or two for reinforcements now, but if they can just last until the offseason with their picks in hand, they can get significantly more aggressive and shop as many as four picks and three swaps for an All-Star to pair with Doncic for the long haul. Doncic is just 23. Getting him that All-Star could mean a decade or more of contention.